a contradiction that such as have once sinned and fallen from Law-righteousness should ever after even for eternity be justified by that Law-righteousness which once they lost or that they should be justified both by grace or by the redemption that is in Jesus without works Rom. 3. 15. Rom. 4. 1 2 3. and also should be justified by debt and hire and by works as Paul opposeth the one to the other Rom. 4. and no doubt all the glorified were once justified by grace without works even Abraham David and all like them how then can they be justified by works for ever and ever in Heaven see Rom. 11. 6. Qu. What then requires the Lord in these believe ye in Christ make you a new heart except we say we have strength natural to obey and that by natures law many were saved Ans 1. He requires the free act of believing but withall he requires what is our duty and moral obligation but not what is our physical strength to perform 2. He shews our impotency to wrestle out of the pit of misery except he give us Evangelick strength to escape nor is it the Lord's intention or decree that such as have fallen in the first Adam should rise again by the first Adam or their own strength or should pay of their own the money that they wasted in Adam Or 3. That they should have or get again the same individual sanctified power which they lost in Adam Or 4. That they should have these influences of God they once lost Object They are either condemned because they believe not by their own strength or because they believe not by a supernatural grace but both are physically impossible Now we can all keep the Law whole our selves justifie our selves live without sin Ans 1. They are condemned because they believe not through a supernatural power which power all are obliged to have for it was once a concreated and gifted power and the want of the power of believing is a culpable and sinful want of that image of God which man is obliged to have Rom. 3. 23. 2. Whatever principle and power of believing be the ground of Gospel-unbelief which condemns men the sons of Adam love that want and such as are within the visible Church are condemned for their voluntary unbelief John 5. 24. and John 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye may be saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As for the want of the power of believing it is common to all mankind to such as hear the Gospel and to all the Heathen and therefore cannot be the nearest formal principle of that Gospel-unbelief for which they are condemned who being within the visible Church do not believe And upon the same ground the culpable want of the power of believing as of the rest of the parts of the image of God must be a sin against the covenant of works common to all mankind now such as never heard the Gospel cannot be guilty of a sin proper to the covenant of grace Qu. What then is that a just command that the Lord should charge under the highest pain even of the second death the blind to see that is that the natural man believe and in the mean time God judicially puts out his eyes and out of his absolute freedome refuses to restore to him the faculty of seeing Ans Suppose 1. That the want of soul power to see is both a sin the contrary of it being moral goodness a part of original righteousnesse and of the concreated image of God to wit of righteousness and holiness Ephes 4. 23 24. Colos 3. 10. which makes a man lovely to God as also a punishment inflicted as Pharaoh's obstinate hardness is both a hainous sin and also judicially afflicted for former sins And then the holy Law may as well charge men to be holy and able to believe though they be judicially blind As God may charge Pharaoh's heart to be soft and moved with rods and to yield to the command Let my people go when God judicially hardens the heart 2. Suppose that man loves willingly to be blind as all love their native blindnesse 3. Suppose the blind man to be under the moral debt of having his seeing faculty even the compleat image of God and of loving not hating his Physitian Christ when revealed and preached who only can restore his faculty of seeing Now man remaining after the Fall a reasonable creature is obliged by the first command to believe God in all he saith and to love Christ God incarnate or not incarnate He from whom the eyes are plucked cannot be under a moral obligation to see because the eye seeth not by freedome that is inherent in the eye But a man within the visible Church is obliged to perform all free obedience of believing in Christ revealed whether habitual or actual which his Creator commands so the comparison halts widely 4. Suppose the man does first with his own hand put out his own eyes as we did in Adam and that the relation of penalty follows this blindnesse by the will of the just Creator as it s here 5. Suppose the blind man gave virtual consent to the voluntarily loved want of the lovely and gracious art of the onely Physician who can restore his sight as the case is here 6. Suppose that the Creator of eyes hath once given the facultie of seeing and that he is not obliged to restore it ever when the man casts it away and that the man a thousand times winks and shuts his eyes and hates to be anointed and you shall see there is no ground to quarrel with the just and holy Lord. Q. Whereas the contrary opinion that denies original fin to be sin as Pelagians Arminians Socinians 1. Contradicts Scripture which calls it both sin and iniquity Psal 51. 5. Vncleannesse Job 14. 4. The frame of the heart evil 2. Only evil 3. Continually 4. From the wombe Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. Offence Rom. 5. 15 17 18. Disobedience by which many are made sinners 19. Indwelling sin even when Paul is justified A body of sin Rom. 7. 17. 23 24. The sin that doth so easily beset us Heb. 12. 1. Shall we teach the Lord to speak 2. The Lord saith it is an offence by which many be dead Rom. 5. 15. By which the judgment is by one unto condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is the condemnation to the first and second death from which we are delivered in Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 16. Rom. 8. 1. It 's an offence by which death reigned as a King Now if this death be but a temporary death how is it opposed to the reigning in life by one Jesus Christ Rom. 5. 17 And as sin reigned unto death even so grace reigns through righteousnesse unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 5. 21. Now except the Scripture had taught us that there is one sort of sin that deserves temporal
judge it fit for their humiliation and the promoting of the work of their salvation and especially for the glory of holy Soveraignty they are to believe that the Lord shall absolutely confer upon them fundamental and amply necessary influences of grace but not that he shall bestow on them absolutely non-fundamental influences Assert 4. It s not lawful to engage to run the ways of the Lords commandments leaning to the habit of grace and the stock within the Believer Peter relied on this I am ready 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing habitual grace and faith to go with thee to prison and to death Luke 22. 33. and John 13. 37. Peter is angry because Christ lesseneth his stock and habit of grace and strength of faith Lord why can I not follow thee now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This habit of grace is not Christ neither the Spirit and therefore the enlarging of the heart upon the supposal whereof David engageth to run the way of the Lords commandments is not the only habitual enlarging of the heart but he supposeth also that the Lord must add his actual breathings and influences of grace else he cannot run nor move at all in the way of God John 15. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Assert 5. Far less can we engage to run the way of the Lord upon our own strength For 1. The Apostle James rebukes such as say they shall go to such a City and buy and sell and say not if God will James 4. 10 11. far less can we engage to spiritual duties on our own strength 2. This is carnal presumption for men to lay wagers on their own strength and to say with Peter and the Disciples they 'l do wonders 3. Men believe not the wickedness of their own hearts nor see they to the bottome of soveraignty the depth of sin original 4. It s contrary to godly watchfulness and an hardning of the heart as Prov. 28. 14. Blessed is the man who fears always but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe 5. It s atheism to suppose that influences of saving grace are as due and connatural to men now fallen in sin as influences natural are some way due to the falling of rain the rising and going down of the Sun the growing of trees the ebbing and flowing of the sea and that we have dominion of free-will over the saving breathings of the holy Ghost Whereas 6. The Gospel bids us pray and by faith rely on the Lord for influences of grace and give the glory and praise of the breathings of the Spirit to God 7. It s against that humble self-denial and godly trembling and humble despairing of our own strength that should be in us in our undertakings of obedience So an huge deal of pride 2. want of mortification to self must be lurking in our undertakings Assert 6. It s not lawful to blame the Lord for our sinful omissions for that is to father our sin upon the holy Lord nor is that Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and hardened our hearts from thy fear a complaining against God It s 1. a tacit complaining of themselves that they are grosse matter and the dunghil on which the Sun with his beams stirs up a stinking smell which is not the Suns fault 2. As Gods active hardning of us is a punishment of sin the Church may lawfully complain of it to God and deprecate that and all the like sad evils of punishment yet it shall never follow that God is the author or the cause of the sins of our being passively hardned of God or of active hardening of our selves 3. It s a prayer for softning and grace not to erre return for thy servants sake v. 16. thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is from everlasting 2. None of the Saints yielding to temptations do blame the Lords withdrawing but blame themselves and clear the Lord. Psalm 51. Against thee thee only have I sinned thou hast taught me wisedom in the inward parts here is a clearing of the Lord. Isa 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing v. 4. since the beginning of the world men have not perceived a God beside thee 5 8. So Lam. 3. 34. Assert 7. A Believer may undertake in the strength of God Psalm 119. 33. Cant. 14. Draw me we will run Grace and the Spirit in his sweet breathings being undertakers one may undertake for a journey when Christ engages for such a chariot the midst whereof is paved with love O be humble and lay not great wagers upon self ye know not sin original as a sin but ye know it as a meer punishment What we are sinners by nature and we can do no otherwise Pharaoh and Judas knew it so CHAP. VIII Q. 4. Is there no running except God enlarge the heart what then can we do ASsert 1. Without some enlargement of heart there is no running the negative is true none come to Christ except such as the father draws John 6. 44. John 15. 5. and the affirmative is true all that are drawn and have heard and learned of the Father do run and come apace Cant. 1. 4. John 6. 44. There is a spiritual riches in heavenly and spiritual suppositions O for more of Christ to ern his praises with a shout which might waken Angels and Men all men in this side and in the other side of the Sun and that all creatures might hear and put to their seal and cry Amen to the Psalm Assert 2. The use we are to make of our sinful weakness is not to sit still he loves death who says I cannot heal my self art and skill must only do it therefore I le seek to no Physitian if the Lord will not do it let me die The husbandman were mad who would say my plowing sowing early rising and late labouring can never make the corn to grow except God give the increase therefore I le fold my hands and take the other sleep and if another say God only creates the wind therefore I le never set my foot in a ship so is it here what can the dead and the sick sinner do if the Physitian Christ will neither quicken nor cure his influences of life are above my reach therefore I le never make out to Christ nor ask for the Gospel if Christ will not heal us we must pine away in our sins how then shall we live this is to tempt Christ and to bring him under a new miraculous way to heal and save the sinner in his dream without hearing the Gospel which is that God should bring bread and cloathing to the sleeping mans bed-side The contrary is Phil. 2. 13. work because he works Cant. 1. Draw and we will run the Spouse saith not Lord draw that we may sleep 2. Our impotency leads us to turn sinful wickedness in mournful confession and godly complaining as the Saints
the Spirit in one and the same work the sounding of the word and the breathing of the Spirit may be attended Psalm 130. 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait Whether in his real helping and hearing my crying out of the deeps or on his saving actings upon the dead heart and in his word do I hope there may be a casting of the goods in the sea to help the ship to land there is failing of the eyes in waiting for God Psalm 69. 3. Psalm 119. 8. My soul fainteth for thy salvation 13. I opened my mouth panted for I longed for thy salvation I cannot create breathings But the man in a pit or dungeon though he can make no help to himself yet he can cry and make use of arms and legs when a rope is cast down to him 4. Blowing of the bellows adds nothing to the fire yet it removes the ashes it fans away the earthy part and rarifies it and acts upon the smoke and adds quickning it 's fit to blow upon the habit of grace and heavenly disposition yea to blow in a sanctified way in a gift so Paul 2 Tim. 1. 6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance to stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the laying on of my hands Erasmus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an elegant metaphor from such as care for the fire which is as it were buried under ashes they blow with the bellows and revive and stir up the fire like to die out others think it an allusion to the Priests dayly watching to cherish and keep in the fire which the Lord sent down from heaven and to cast new fewel to it So is that 1 Tim. 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neglect not the gift that is in thee let it not rust self-sharping and self-impulsion upon the heart and acting upon the habit which is in worse case because it lodges in a lazy heart is required we may deaden and neglect both our souls and the new habit whereas that prayer Lord increase our faith teacheth that we by diligent acting add to the habit to the gift talent and dispensation and the improving of these are forcible means to draw down fresh influences of life the Lord of his grace having brought himself reserving actings of soveraignty and deep wisedom under a sort of promissory necessity to bestow influences and to give one talent to him who makes five talents ten idleness and sleeping then must be no small obstruction to new quickening influences 5. As the husbandman is a fellow-worker in his way with industry and art with the Lord and nature to fit his ridges by plowing and sowing to receive influences of dew and rain and impression from heaven and he works with God and nature who labours the vineyard purges out brambles briars stones prunes the young vine-trees that they may receive influences from Sunne Moon Heavens and Clouds Yet no husbandman no vinedresser can be Lord of the influences of heaven so hath the Lord commanded us to plow up the fallow-ground of our hearts and not to sow among thorns to lie under the husbandry of Ministers sent of God to frequent ordinances to yield up our hearts by willing consent to be acted on by God to resign them and put the heart out of our possession and yield to that suit My son give me thy heart else we mock God in suiting from him enlargedness of heart in a sort of compromising that we shall run if he shall draw and enlarge But we keep fast possession of our own hearts and doe not resign them to God Hence a word of wakening to cry to harp and psaltery to our gift and to our tongue and to our sleepy hearts Psal 57. 8. is requisite as also 2. that we chide with our unbelieving soules Psal 42. 5 11. and command the renewed part to act upon the heart to accuse and convince and rebuke the heart 1 Sam. 24. 5. 1 John 3. 20. 6. The soul can be in no such dead case but it 's capable of an Evangelick command Sardis hath a name they are living and yet are dead then is it useless to speak to Sardis now dead no Rev. 3. 2. Strengthen that which remaines There fly sparkles of fire from the red hot iron of the smith upon those about whether they will or no. From that charge Open to me my sister my love c. there came upon her whether she would or not flamings of love which brought influences on her bowels CHAP. IX The fifth Question is what is the enlarging of heart It is nothing but the wideness and fulness of the soul and powers thereof in its actings Hence these Propositions concerning enlargedness of heart Prop. 1. WHen the soul is widened and stretched out in its actings we are ready to say I shall never be moved Psal 30. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Psal 23. 6. which though true when he was banished from the Tabernacle Psal 42. Psal 84. Psal 63. he had uttered thoughts of his state Some say Shall I ever again be dead Shall I ever again doubt as a down-casting soul no I shall believe and hope under temptations to the end But we are no more to judge of our selves by our present enlargedness then we are to pass sentence of the multitude of people of a City by a solemn fair or great market the town is not every day so peopled nor are we to esteem of a river by its swelling and running over banks after a mighty long continued rain 2. Nor are we to judge of our selves according to our ebbing and deadness of disposition that we shall ever again believe Saith the doubting soul Shall I ever again see the beauty and glory of his power as sometimes I did in the Sanctuary Psal 63. The birds reason not so they say not in winter shall ever the Spring and the season of building our nests come again shall birds ever have Summer-singing again And we are ready to make a weapon-shew of grace when the heart is enlarged I 'le doe wonders as if the man were the Father who begat grace and the Lord of his own believing as some believe the horses swiftness is the swiftness of the rider Be humble and pull down the sail when the heart is enlarged Prop. 2. See in the Text enlargedness of heart and running are near of kindred and blood The disposition and the gracious acting by divine influences are near other as the powder and flamings the dry timber and the warm harth-stone to receive flamings There is a near disposition in the Embrio in the framed mass of the birth to receive by the Creators influences a living soul Psal 38. 1 2 3 4. So in Christ Psal 40. the law in the heart and preaching the Lords righteousness in the great congregations are near other 2. The enlarged heart is ripened to receive influences and quickening of grave for running The
joyn strong and vehement actings of ours High-bended and fervent acts of obedience come not but from strong habits of grace but here I speak of mighty stirrings of influences here we would beware of straining affectation of shouting and expression of delight some bring more out then is within when literal crying and shouting does exceed the inward impulsion of the Spirit it 's dreadful to lye of the Holy Ghost and of his impulsions but to the point Our actings would be proportioned to the Spirits stirring Mighty rivers come from a huge arm of the Sea some streams flowing from little small fountaines run scarce the fourth part of a mile 1 Cor. 15. 10. Strong labouring câ—mes from strong and abundant grace I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me A strong influence of the Spirit calls for a strong virtual consent especially when the Spirits impulsion of joy is strong Cant. 1. 12. While the King sitteth at his table and feasts the Spouse with quickening influences and satisfies her soul as with marrow and fatness my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof The spikenard is here the precious oyl or oyntment of spikenard John 12. 1 2 3. that is the smell of her actings of joy delight love were strong and exceeding savoury as his table was a Kings table and fat and the actings of his spirit strong then followes a suitable strong expression of delight v. 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved unto me he shall lie or lodge all night betwixt my breasts And Cant. 2. 4. the King brought me into his house of wine that is into the chamber of the most spiritual and soul-delighting consolations of the Gospel that rejoyce and cheer the heart as excellent wine doth one that is fainting as Psal 104. 15. Prov. 31. 6 7. compared with 2 Cor. 1. 6. 2 Thess 2. 18 19. And the Spouse joynes to this a most vehement disposition of soul-sickness of love for Christ v. 5. Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love As also godly sorrow for sinne 2 Cor. 7. 10 11 15. a special work of the Spirit and princely and kingly gift of his Spirit who was raised from the dead to act this sorrow in us Acts 5. 31. as also swoooning and dying at the absence and withdrawing of Christ the beloved Cant. 5. 6. is a fruit of the Spirit and to sleep and eat and drink and rejoyce when the holy Spirit is saâ—ned and when he withdraws his actings is a dismal and sad token though there may some influence of corruption be in sorrowing because the Spirits actings are suspended as they are our comforts or apples to delight children and not as duties that we owe for Christs love to us and conscience of his command which saith Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce alwayes in the Lord c. and here we would beware of worldly sorrow that causeth death Sorrow and heart-breaking because of the breaking of created comforts as if God were not the soules portion and the Saints all in all should be eschewed this sorrow blunts and deadens the soul from drinking in influences of glory as far Luke 9. v. 32. also Law-sadness dumpish servile down-casting because it deadens and kills as the Law doth must be eschewed indeed sadness that Evangelically mortifies and deadens to created spiritual comforts may quicken the believer to a more vigorous delighting in Christ himself who is more then comfort Psal 119. My soul droppeth away for heaviness and that puts fire in the soul to pray Strengthen thou me according to thy word It appears to be spiritual sorrow that breaks out in prayer Matth. 26. 38 39. Psal 18. 4 5 6. Psal 61. 2. Psal 102. 4. There are in the fourth Class two affections hope and audacity or fool-hardiness which would be taken heed unto Now with hope which looks to good to come and hardly attained we must take in faith one of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Sometimes one affection in its carnality will counterwork another Luke 24. 41. The disciples believe not for joy and wondering But the special ground is unbelief the wide desire of unbelief thinks God cannot be so abundantly good as to restore to them Christ from the dead and the carnal reasoning of wondring contradicts a possibility of the resurrection over-acting of one affection to wit of joy when it 's literal counter-works the actings of the Spirit in the faith of the promises Hence must Christ soften the heart with swasory actings before the man believe and consider what Christ does morally Luke 24. He opens the Scriptures to the two disciples Luke 24. 27. He rebukes their unbelief v. 25. and as to his own disciples he sent them word with eye-witnesses who saw him that he was risen again but their words seem idle tales to them Luke 24. 11. And he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart Mark 16. 14. 3. He appeared and spake to them 4. He made their senses witnesses by causing them see and touch his hands and feet 5. He did eat with them which was an action of life 6. He wrought a miracle of bringing multitudes of fish to their net but all is to little purpose until he take a real and effectual way by the working of the Spirit Luke 24. 45. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures Then the opening of the Scriptures though in the mouth of Christ avail little to faith except the Spirit of Christ open another lock even the heart This is one of the first works of the Spirit to convincethe conscience of unbelief John 16. 8 9. and when the Spirit hath taken that castle and brought the soul to be sensible of unbelief he can easily take in the rest of the works frequent casting to of new oyl to the lamp keeps it shining and new fewel causes the fire to flame Frequent repeated acts of believing bring the disciples to get the grace to doe greater works then Christ did because Christ went to the Father John 14. 14. Believe influences of grace and have influences of grace abundantly furnished to you ask the Spirit in faith and the Father is as willing to give the Spirit as a Father is to give bread to his hungry child so here faith makes a fair wind Luke 11. 9 10 11 12 13. It is not so in nature the husbandmans natural faith that it shall be a sweet warm fruitful Summer makes not a fruitful Summer The Sea-mans natural faith believing fair winds and no storms at all makes it not to be so for often faith here is but fancy but faith acting dayly upon the precious promises of the word brings strong gales and summer-influences of heart warmness of the Spirit and in a manner creates new blowings of the North and South-wind fainting under the breathings and knocking 's of
p. 270 How men naturally complain of sin original 271 We do not so much as by strength of nature we may do and we adde to our own lameness and then we unjustly complain of God for our sinful impotencie ib. That spirit as the spirit lays no obligation on us but to move in Scriptural duties 276 No violence but from our selves hinders us to believe ib. God loves using of external means pro tanto ib. How far we may act to fetch the wind and to get influences ib. We are not to judge of our selves by occasional enlargednesse or deadning of the heart for the time cap. 9. p. 280 Enlargedness of heart and influences are near of kin 281 Branches of enlargedness of heart ib. Influences on the Angels and the glorified ones 283 Many straitned and dead ones reproved 284 Prayer begets holy dispositions to pray and heavenly dispositions to pray begets prayer and faith c. cap. 10. p. 287 Holy acts begets holy acts and holy dispositions beget holy dispositions ib. The Lord so frames his precepts and promises as our actings are suitably required to his influences 288 The differences of the 1. spiritual estate 2. of the temper 3. of the condition 289 What Davids present disposition was 291 The doubling of words noteth 1. certainty 2. addition of assurance 3. fieriness of affection ib. It s fit to make an eike to the holinesse of influences which the Lord offers to us 292 We may speak to God and professe in prayer the sincerity of our heart to God and the causes why 294 Its hard to guide well grace and glory so long as sin dwelleth in us ib. The Lords giving of grace layes bands on him to give more grace and to adde new influences to old 296 What a heart the repenting thief and what a heart Hezekiah brought out before the Lord in his dying ib. â— properties of holy dispositions 298 Dispositions spiritual are seeds of holy actings ib. Zeal bringeth forth holy actings 299 Heavenly dispositions are real helps to holy actings ib. Properties of heavenly dispositions to act under indispositions ib. A disposition counterworking a disposition 300 The spirit in an heavenly disposition at length prevaileth ib. 8 Pride and 9 Wordly mindedness hinder influences of grace lovelinesse and heavenly mindedness promote the same p. 362. c 10 Bastard zeal 11 Vncleanness 12 Malice 13 Wordly sorrow hinders the contrary graces promote influences p. 395 c. 14 Wordly and false joy 15 False love p. 398 c 16 Ignorance and hatred of the Gospel p. 400 17 Wrestling against providences obstruct the influences of God p. 402 God by his influences first acts and stirs by order of nature and in the same moment of time we act and stir without any violence p. 404 18 Heavenly and spiritual thoughts and considerations draw along heavenly influences as unclean thoughts do the contrary p. 405 Keep the oyl of the spirit clean if you would have heavenly influences to fall on the spirit p. 407 We are to act both morally and physically with the spirit p. 408 Prayers conclude not soveraignity ib Other impediments of influences from the mind will and affections p. 4. c. 4. p. 409 Heritical light ib A corrupt will p. 410 Hating of Christ and his grace obstruct influences p. 411 Diverse actings of the spirit in the Spouse sick of love for Christ hold forth influences the spirit as is cleared by the song of Solomon p. 412 Hating of Christ p. 414 The soul loathing of God ib The spirit gives no influences where there is no knowledg p. 415 Influences of the spirit are connatural to the spiritual man ib Sensuality and influence of the spirit are inconsistent ib Soul desires after God have sweet influences p. 416 Spiritual joy speak strong influences p. 417 Literal crying should not exceed the impulsion of the spirit within ib How hope and audacity hinder or promote influences p. 419 Moral acting cannot avail us whithout real influences of the spirit p. 420 Frequent acts of faith promote influences of the spirit ib Hope promotes influences p. 421 Sinful boldness obstructs influences ib Anger hindereth influences p. 422 How Elisha could not prophesie by reason of anger The influences of Musick therein ib A meek spirit is a fit work-house for influences of grace and high revelations instanced in Mosâ—s the man Christ John the beloved disciple p. 423 Horror and unbelieving fear an impediment of influences p. 425 Influences are considered two waies 1. Physically 2. Morally how men resisted the spirit p. 4. c. 5. p. 426 The Lord seeks not our consent to the first infusion of a new heart p. 427 We are married to Christ before we consent to be married p. 430 The Lord determines free will and doth no violence ib We are unexcusable in not doing our duty though the Lord deny his necessary influence p. 432 God acts in all both by the immediate influence of his power and of his person p. 433 The Lord most particularly leads his own p. 435 Two sort of causes one in fieri for the producing of and giving being to a thing another in facto esse for the preserving of the same in being God is both waies the cause of gracious actings ib. The right missing is to misse influences not of gifts and of common grace only but of special grace p. 436 A reprobate can no more miss the special guidance of the sanctifying spirit then a horse can miss the wings of an eagle that are not due to him ib Of the giving of the heart of God p. 437 We are more our own by law and less our own by Gospel ib Christ cares more for his own body then the members care for themselves p. 438 Christ care is rather now more when he is glorified then lesse ib. We vainly think that the habit of grace is given to be our justification and that as a dispensation from sin ib Inability to do without grace is pretented both by the lawless bankrupt and by the humble convert but for divers ends ib The unrenewed man would have come down to his way p. 343 There is a sad threatning against not using of outward means though no promise be made to the using of only outward means p. 344 The opposition made by hypocrites is only in the outward gate p. 345 Reprobates resist not the formal acts of regeneration p. 346 Mr. Baxters order of repentance p. 347 Doubts and reasons against Mr. Baxters new remedying law of grace made to all mankind p. 349 Vniversal redemption extols nature and free will and makes a moral season which heals not nature all the graces that the Gospel owns p. 352 The law teacheth but healeth not p. 357 Our formality in praying ib How nature beginneth and the spirit acteth on and with our literal acting p. 3. c. 14. p. 358 Some truth we must first physically hear and consider before we believe p. 359 Though it be true if the
and holiness and to the habit of free actions for if God fixedly ordained persons to free acts he must have fixedly ordained these free acts and so there must be chains of necessity laid on free will and free acts as the Adversaries argue if the latter be said the decrees of election and reprobation must be fast and loose as the free-will of men best pleases and indeed this Author makes this a third necessity that overturns freedom for if reprobation saith he and the decree of declaring the Lords justice be before sin then is there a strong and unwarrantable necessity of sinning laid on men and Angels But Protestant Divines the soundest of Papists Augustine Prosper Hilarius Fulgentius and the soundest Fathers maintain a decree of passing by of non-election a purpose of denying such grace to multitudes as if it had been granted Esau Ismael Pharaoh Cain should have believed and been saved as well as David and Peter but this grace the Lord decreed to deny because the Potter doth and may dispose of the clay as pleaseth him Because it is not in him that wills and runs but in God that shews mercy 2. Because he hath mercy on whom he will and hardens whom he will and yet he is just and justly is angry at sin and that stands as the objection of the carnal Pelagian in Paul's time Rom. 9. 19. Thou wilt say why doth he yet find fault who hath resisted his will this is the very objection of this Author if the Lord decreed to deny effectually renewing grace to the masses of reprobates clay before they did good or ill and before they could run and will that is ante citra peccati provisione before any consideration of sin in them and decreed to give it to others because he will why should God complain for who hath who can resist his will for his will and decree must be necessarily fulfilled and executed and without the sin of men and Angels there could be no execution nor fulfiâ—ling of such a decree Our Divines with the Fathers say 1. The judgement and dispensation is hid and deep but not â—njust 2. Paul and they say none have resisted his will and the counsel of the Lord shall stand 3. The decree of God compels no man to sin nor lays on men any necessity destructive to liberty of sinning or obeying freely 4. Gods decree is the cause of no mans falling or sinning 5. The eternal ruine and final sinning of Angels and men fell out by order of nature and time before the decree and will of God how could he then help it here is a strong and a fatal necessity that God could not break but since a sparrow falls not to the earth and is snared without the will of the Father of Christ how can men and Angels fall eternally without his will O there is an absolute will of God and a conditional will without which sin fell not out say they but the conditional will is a name no more for God so should have decreed such things good and evil should be after they were and had being not to say that it must be as unjust that God should will sins existence after it falls out as before it falls out as to the Lords loving or any commanding or approving thereof or as to the point of straining of the will to act sin yea the holy Lord no more strains by decree and actual influence the will in acts of holy and supernatural obedience then in acts of sin and there is a door opened to fatal necessity in neither for the Lord trails violently no children to glory and compels by decree or praedetermination none to the entitative acts in sin nor violently drives he either divels or reprobate men to everlasting fire it is safer to believe holy providence for the want of the faith of an all-governing Lord must bring perpetual trepidation and anxity of conscience trembling and fainting of heart and destroy and sulvert all solid consolation lively hope conquering patience O that we could pray and believe more and curiously dispute less and sinfully fret not at all but say O the depth and pray thy Kingdome come even so come Lord Jesus OF INFLUENCES OF DIVINE GRACE CANTIC 1. 4. Draw me we will run Ch. 1. Mans dubious and tottering estate under the first his safer estate under the second Adam 2 True liberty 3 Grace loves to be restrained from doing of evil Adam was not to believe or pray for perseverance THere being in the Covenant of works no influences by which we may will and doe to the end promised to Adam and no predeterminating influences and no Gospel-fear of God by which we shall persevere and not depart from the Lord being promised in the new and everlasting covenant Jer. 32. 39. 4. This principall difference between the covenants remains to be discussed There must be in this point considerable differences between the Covenants as 1. God intended that no man should be saved by the Law for grace mercy forbearance and the patience of God towards sinners sould for eternity have been hid from sinfull man if righteousness and life had been by the Law But God intended that all men to be saved should be saved by the Covenant of grace 1 Cor. 1. 21. Rom. 3. 21 22. as Rom. 10. 5 6 7. compared with Rom. 3. 9 10 20. Gal. 3. 8 9 10. as both the Scripture and the issue of two dispensations of Law and Gospel do evidence 2. Man in the covenant of works was under no tutor but Adams free will but now man as an interdicted heir for former wasteries is disinherited so that he hath not the mastery of his own estate is put under another Lord even Jesus Christ as his tutor and since it is so the less our own the better the more we are under the law the less we are under grace as Rom. 7. the less freedom or rather physicall licence to sin the more true liberty Psal 119. 45. I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts Christ by his covenant layeth the aw of grace upon us whether grace be taken physically for an inward principle of grace or morally for a gracious fear to sin it s all one the more under Christ any is the less is he free to sin as the better and stronger the keeper is who is put upon a broken man and a prisoner who is a bankrupt the less can he take on new debt Rom. 6. 20 22. the less can he make a sinfull escape ungracious are they who say Ah if I had my will I would doe otherwise grace loves to be restrained from doing evil 1. Sam. 22. 23. Satan seeks leave or rather cursed licence if it were but to destroy the Gadarens swine and he reputes it his torment not to dwell with his Legions in the distracted man to torment him Matth. 8. Such cannot complain Would God breath on me with his influences of grace
106. 9. He rebuked the red Sea also and it was dried up God by the interposition of the faith of his own will not have strong walls to stand Heb. 11. 30. but they must fall nor Lions to eat the prey Verse 33. nor a violent fire to burn nor the sword to devour 34. As 2. They act at his command Psal 78. 26. He caused the East wind to blow in the Heavens and by his power he brought in the South wind whether this be by a strong terminating influence which displeaseth adversaries of grace and providence or some other way we contend not for words but if the Scripture hold forth as it doth that the Lord by his strong and invincible dominion doth indeclinably and without any possible failing bring forth his decreed effect some impulsion of God immanent transient or mixed which is terminate upon all second causes there must be for as he can and doth hinder naturall causes to work as the Sunne to move towards his down-going Josh 12. 13. Isa 38. 8. the Lyon to eat the man whereas he did fear the ass 1 Kings 13. 28. so he is the father and cause of all things that fall out Job 38. 28. Hath the rain a father or who hath begotten the drops of dew 29. Out of whose womb came the yce and the hoary-frost of Heaven who hath gendered it 31. Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion This teacheth that Job cannot nor can any creature at his nod but the Lord can and he onely binds up or le ts out the influences of Pleiades the starres which rise in the Spring and bring forth flowers and hearbs and orders the course of Orion which bringeth Winter and order the starres that rise in the South and in the North. 34. Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds that abundance of waters may cover thee See his actings 3. His influences are in things small as in the falling of a Sparrow to the earth not one hair of the head but it is numbred by him Luke 21. 18. Matth. 10. 29 30 31. Not a gourd groweth nor a worm eats it but at his command Jonah 4. 6 7. Amos 4. 7 8 9. Joel 1. 1 2 3 4. Psal 105. 29 30 31 32 33. c. he hath an hand in the bird-nests building Psal 104. 17 18. And 4. The actings of the Lord are in great things as the translation of Kingdoms Dominions and Thrones Dan. 4. 32. Jer. 27. 5 6 7. In all the rises and fallings of Princes the Starres of whatever magnitude Isa 40. 21. 1 Sam. 2. 7 8. Psalm 76. 12. 5. His actings are in matter of lots that seem to be ruled by fortune and chance Prov. 16. 33. Genes 49. Deut. 33. compared with Josh 14. 1 2 3. 6. Especially in bowing the free will and determining all the actions of evil angels 1 Kings 22. 21 22 23. Job 1. 6 7 8. Job 2. 1 2 3. Gen. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. Matth. 8. 29 30 31. and good Luke 2. 9 13. Matth. 28. 1 2 3. Acts 1. 20. 2 Thes 1. 7. leading and determining the free will of all men the King Prov. 21. 1. the Prince Gen. 43. 13. Esther 4. 16 17. compared with Chap. 5. 2. c. 7. 2 3. he graciously enclines the will and hearts of men Deut. 30. 6. Jer. 32. 39 40. Ezek. 36. 27. as the Saints pray Psal 119. 33 34 36 88. Psal 86. 11. Cant. 1. 4. He hardneth the heart and blinds the mind as in his judgement he pleaseth Job 12. 16. Ezek. 14. 9. Exod. 14. 8. Deut. 2. 30. 2 Sam. 12. 11 12. Esay 6. 9 10. Matth. 13. 14 15. John 12. 37 38 39 40. Rom. 1. 24 25 26 27 28. Rom. 11. 8. And many such things are with him the more spiritually minded any is the more bent is the heart to follow and eye God in all his actings and he shall see how wise in heart the steeresman is who watcheth at the helm and it shall appeare what precious thoughts take up the believer who sees such millions and numberless numbers of influences with all the drops of rain hail dew falling between the creation and the dissolving of the world all which he binds in his garment Prov. 30. 2. and what numbers of influences he joyns to all the blasts of winds and storms which he gathers in is fists ibid. what influences of the Almighty must there be at all the actings stirrings and motions of Angels in Heaven of damned spirits of men elect and reprobate of birds beasts creeping things fishes in the wise connection of all these with the Lords intended end And if this be observed suppose the body of the Heavens which in its wide bosome contains all were broken and fell down in many thousand pieces Faith in the infinite wisdome goodnesse and power of God will bid the believer be silent and sleep and hope within his own garment God excellently rules all the best of created things next to that precious thing Christ man is the Church and the Lord will specially care for that and for me among the rest 3. No doubt we are brutish and look to all the stirrings with much Atheisme and little faith as if all stirrings in Nature Societies and Kingdoms were set on work by the sway of Nature and blind Fortune without God as a wheel rolling about with the mighty violence of a strong arm moves a long time after the arm of the mover is removed Or suppose a pair of Charet-wheels were letten loose in the top of a huge Mountain and should move down some hundred thousands of Millions of miles for hundreds of years after the man who set them first a work were dead So we fools believe that God gave a mighty strong shake or some Omnipotent impulsion to all causes natural free and contingent to Heaven and Earth Sea and Land to all Creatures in them Angels and Men and did bid them be a going for he must sleep and could not actually stir them any more Nor can we see God in all and that he contrived this that one should rise early and eat the bread of sorrow and yet be poor another should be wise admirably and want bread another fight valiantly and be foiled and a man run swiftly and lose the race Psal 127. 1 2 3. Eccles 9. 11. and that much sowing hath little reaping Hag. 1. 6. for Hab. 2. 13. Behold is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people should labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity Chaldaea doth sweat and pine her self for the very wind and nothing We see not that nature miscarries and parts with child when his good providence who rules all is not Mid-wife and a barren-womb brings forth many births and she that is no Mother hath a rich issue when soveraignity pleases this is my faith and comfort CHAP. III. Hence to
faithfully acquit himself in the duty of his Office for by office he conferrs influences 2. It s to question his nature whether the Head shall inlive its members CHAP. IV. The necessity of influences of Grace Of the Soveraignty of God in dispensing influences IT is easie to determine that there is a sort of necessity of the Lords bestowing influences upon all natural causes of this before In so far as willing and nilling are acts of second causes in the same sphere with natural causes there seems to be no more reason for denying influences to nilling and willing simply yea or for literal hearing and praying then for plowing and sowing except that here God acts in a dreadful way of Justice toward Pharaoh and other reprobates in leaving them to the actings of their own heart only it may be said that God finding his child under deadness and acting in a dead and literal way as he hath bowels of compassion toward his chosen under the evil of sin that are ready to be drowned he joynes his help of influences seeing his own goe about duties with wrestling and pain since he knows some one way or other they must be over the water and helped otherwise they cannot stir 2. As there are some saving graces from the Mediator so must there be some mediatory influences bestowed covenant wayes upon the chosen of God But 1. Free goodness and not natural necessity made the world and that same freedome intervenes in continuing being and acting in creatures which act by nature Fire casteth heat the Sun light and influences the Sea ebeth and floweth by nature yet there must also be a free new commission sealed from eternity to every acting of nature he commandeth the Sun and it riseth not forbideth the fire to cast out heat and it obeyeth Job 9. 7. Heb. 11. 34. Dan. 3. 27. and it is an obliging and an indearing of the heart to God to come dayly under new debt and multiplied free gifts and it renews acts of love in us as fresh actings of salvation flow whether it be new deliverances Psal 18. 1 2 6 7. Psal 116. 1 2 3 4. or new acts of keeping faith from drying up in the fire 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. so as you being tried as gold verse 8. y◠love having not seen him 2. It extracts acts of praying sense of spiritual slownesse seems to pray Cant. 1. 4. Draw me we will run and sense of spiritual dulnesse Psal 119. 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes 3. Hence comes humble relying upon God when faith is put to believe that at every stirring of the members and at every lifting of the foot for a new step the head must stir in heaven and let down new influences of life and the bottles of Heaven and well of life must let down new flowings of rain every moment upon the withered garden if as much rain fell in one day as would suffice the earth for seven years and a man might eat so much at one meal as he should neither be hungry nor thirsty for five years there should not be such dayly dependance upon new influences for rain and dew dayly and for our dayly bread this day We can but 4. hence but believe the infinite wisedome of the Lord who well knows how to husband and steward his showres for in the man Christ they are continual John 8. 29. He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nor dismissed me for I do always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the thing that please him When ever we do what is displeasing to God the Father of Christ leaves us out of the depth of his soveraignty of dispensing influences Christ was never so morally deserted 1. As the Lord would have a falling law Adam to whom he denied influences that nature might be nature so he also would have a standing and never sinning-Adam that grace might appear to be grace 2. Upon supposition that the second Adam is God man it was impossible but the man Christ in all his actions moral should want influences or ever sin or be left alone of the Father but he must always do the thing that pleaseth the Father nor is there any murmuring to be against the dispensation of deepest wisdom why we have not at our pleasure influences of grace that we should never sin as the man Christ never sinned 3. Say we could see no reason the thing is notire the Lord acts in the first elect Angels that they never sin he denied in the first fall influences to the reprobate Angels and since the Lord hath condemned them and tied them with chains of darknesse that their whole actions except the acts of intellectual being and living and the acts of knowing believing desiring fearing c. in the substance of the act should be only moral and only sin in all the substantial circumstances John 8. 44. Satan was a man-slayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and stood not in the truth being created in the first truth adhering to God 1 John 3. 8. the Divel sinned from the beginning hence he is called 1 Peter 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the contrary party in law and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goes about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may drink over So that though there be in men actions of the phansie as to claw the head rub the beard actions of the vegetative life to grow to age to decline in old age senescere pubescere adolescere that are under no Law and so no sins yet all Satans actions are moral these excepted of which we spoke and influences to moral actions granted to reprobate men as to gives alms to go and hear the word visit the sick and imprisoned are denied to Satan Some men are also 2. Reprobate to good works Tit. 1. 16. and cannot believe and here is soveraignty that God works in some vessels of mercy to will and to do not in others 3. As touching the measure of grace and the degrees of saving influences the Lord walketh in a latitude of freedome all men have not alike measure of saving grace and faith 4. His freedome shines in the work of conversion John Baptist is filled with the holy Ghost from the womb Luke 1. 15. but 2. the woman of Samaria Matthew Zachaeus Magdalen Abraham Saul go on in a wretched state of nature for some considerable tract of years and then are visited with influences of life and 3. the Thief that was crucified with Christ upon the Cross in his outgoing is converted and not till then except the soveraign liberty of God silence us no other reason can occur of these things to mans understanding 4. In the Saints this liberty is clear fewer falls in Joseph then in David and so he must be nearer to dayly influences to the one then the other So the Lord left Hezekiah to try him that he might know all that
Master who gives all the Kingdomes of the World to his Worshippers then God who denies Bread to his own wel-beloved Son thus doth Satan but in another kind fret So Gen. 3. it s a bad providence that Adam and Evah are not as knowing as God and Luke 5. 34. What have we to doe with Christ But may not conscience accuse providence in the Lord 's withdrawing of grace especially being wakened Ans The Conscience of Divels and the Damned is awakned either penally or sinfully these may be distinguished here the Conscience as penally wakned by the Judge primarily gnaws and torments it self for sin as punished I have sinned saith Judas and he casts down the seven pieces feeling the worm but as the Conscience is sinfully wakned by it self in blaspheming the God of Heaven Rev. 16. 9 11. because of pain it also frets against providence but is is not pain'd for the want of saving grace and holy influences which might have prevented sin yea their blasphemings of God eternally is a seal and a closeing with the state of unrenewed nature which is never moved for sin but wrestles against the providence which sometime did permit sin which now hath such tormenting consequences though the conscience in the mean time being taken with the Iustre and apparent good in sin did also close with the opportunity of sin and with providence opening the way to tentations Prov. 7. 15. and seek such a providence Gen. 39. 11 12. and embrace it Mark 14. 10 11. yet is there saving good in a regulated spiritual complaining of the want of saving influences So as 1. They be not looked on as misdeeds of providence and we say not the Lord might have lent me the influence to such a self-denying death as Abraham's journey in aiming to sacrifice his only son for God but he would not 2. It s good if there be a holy submissive complaining of the want of gracious influences as terminated upon duties Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and hardened our hearts from thy fear and not looked on as withdrawings of meer providence Though there be a holy claimbring to God ver 19. we are thine yet we are so thine as thy grace is Soveraign Thou never bearest rule over them they were not called by thy name and yet no praise or thanks to Israel that they were called by his Name rather then the Heathen 3. We may pray for and so earnestly suit and desire influences as Draw me quicken me encline my heart unto thy testimonies Therefore we may pray against withdrawings of influences as sad privations of dreadful consequents and so much is held forth in that Petition lead us not unto temptation 4. Yet so as there is no deserving in us of having eyes to see and spiritual influences to see to hear to perceive with a new heart Deut. 29. 2 3. as its not the merit of one part of the Earth the South that it lie nearer the Sun then another Northern part nor the good deserving of one Horse that he wear a golden Saddle and a silken Bridle rather than another this would be minded What am I Lord as it was Christ's mind to cry down works in point of salvation yet not to cry down all actings by way of duty in the New-covenant way Therefore 5. since grace may be desired and all gracious influences are grace so is there a conformity betwixt the believers will suiting influences and the revealed and approving will of God I say not his high decree and ordaining will for sure New-Testament or New-Covenant prayers new oyl and new supply of grace do import a fresh supply and watering of influences to be furnished to believers especially since we may pray Hallowed be thy Name in me thy Kingdome come to me thy will be done by me in the Earth is it is in Heaven 5. We may and ought to suit of God what the Lord promiseth in the Covenant of grace but the Lord promiseth to bestow predeterminating grace in this Covenant as after shall be cleared Now the faultiness of this I will not pray untill the Spirit act upon me and move me to pray is seen in that it importeth that the moral ground of praying is not the command of God pray continually and that command call upon me in the day of trouble which is most false for another warrant for all moral obedience then precept promise or practise can no man give yea it supposeth that the warrant of prayer is the influence of grace Now the influence of grace is the efficient helping cause not the rule not the objective cause of either our praying or any acts of our obedience Yea it is the way of Enthysiasts to make divine impulsions and not the word of precept the Rule of our obedience 2. This I will not pray untill the Spirit first act upon me must have either this sense I will not pray untill the Lord first give a praying disposition or untill the Lord first actually breath upon me This latter saith indeed I will not pray until I pray for the Lord 's actual influence includes praying The former cannot be said For there is no warrant to disobey the command pray continually untill I get a new disposition from Heaven for then might all praying of the renewed be shifted and the three Disciples in the garden might have said to Christ our Master bids us pray but we are heavy with sleep and indisposed and cannot pray and so must we be excused 2. Upon the same account Magus Acts 8. 21. and other unrenewed men should shift the command of praying for while we be translated out of nature to the Kingdome of grace we want the habit of grace and spirit of adoption by which only we can pray acceptably 3. How unsavoury shall this be a man falls over a Bridge and is a drowning another is going to the place of Execution to die another is sick to death all of them may by this shift say we must not pray lest we take the Name of God in vain untill the Spirit breath upon us heavenly impressions of speaking in the Spirit to God 4. This shift cannot stand to suspend praying until the Spirit breath from on high for we are to pray for the spirit 's breathing and for teaching quickning enlarging of heart that we may pray and praise Psal 51. 15. Psal 119. 36 37 40 48. Wind fetches wind here and fire begets fire as cold flint creates hot fire so the Atheists let them pray that can pray I 'me no Minister But it hath this I am ready to pray but the blame of my not praying is to be laid on the Spirit for the wind blows not but this is but witty laziness as when the Sea-man will sleep and attempt no Sea-voyage and lay the blame which is his fall upon the wind which blows not after his mind it appears he is but a sleeper
not a Husband-man who for bears plowing and sowing upon the account only that he finds not a season so desirable as he craves and that he is indisposed to plow spiritually as a Christian He who observes the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap Eccl. 11. 4. So are we to refer to his holy Soveraignty the flowings of the Spirit and to set about holy duties as if these flowings were in our power We are to know that the command and precept of spiritual duties is laid on us as we are reasonable creatures as hearers of the Gospel not under the reduplication as spiritually or not spiritually disposed as the Creditor and the Law charge men to pay their just debts not as they are poor or rich but as they are debters yea precepts from the Lord bind the creature as the creature and moral precepts bind Men and Angels as capable to obey though not fit and disposed Therefore must we here distinguish betwixt nature capable or having at any time power to obey and the real or as it were the physical aptitude and idoneous disposition to obey The latter takes not away the obligation to pray or believe David's being overclouded with a temptation is not an excuse of adultery and murther nor is he thereby freed from praying Lord lead me not into temptation As 1. Under indispositions moral we rejoyce that sinful indispositions do befriend us and smile upon us to promote sin as some love them well who counsel them and joyn with them in drunkenness and are their brethren in iniquity so do we foment indispositions and welcome and fatten them and do not violence to our corruption and deadness and heardness and some expone false light to be God's secret and virtual approving Will they should commit the sin as Evah saw the fruit that it was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3. 6. Here Evah substitutes the tentation in place of the precept and false light fosters and cherisheth a sinful lust and a wicked disposition to sin It is a sort of tempting of the tempting disposition whereas is were good to complain under a sinful disposition as under the bondage of a part of the body of sin as Paul doth Rom. 7. for a sinful disposition is but a branch and bud of the body of sin which we are to wrestle against as a most dangerous opposite to spiritual obedience Indeed sometime a spiritual disposition to pray or praise or hope goes along with the command Now the obligation of the command to praise is ever one and its good when the man can say My heart is fixed I will praise Psal 5â— and the command to wait on the Lord lies ever on it is a rich mercy when the disposition goes along with the command as Psal 25. 15. Mine eyes are ever in the habit and holy disposition toward the Lord and Psal 130. 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning Farther not to pray till the Spirit move us and simply to abstain from praying or any other spiritual duty upon simple ignorance that we are not obliged to pray except the spirit move us is weakness in some godly who may be overtaken with that error but in knowing and judicious men who are Libertines it is wickedness and somewhat more then weakness for it is to abstain from spiritual duties though not considering or without religious weighing the Commandment pray continually and is a making of the Spirit 's acting our Bible and to confound the Scripture and the Spirit as Libertines did so Calvin saith of them and so do others 2. The sense of this pray continually cannot be pray assiduously at all occasions except the Spirit withdraw his influences for here three things are considerable If 1. The providential call of God to pray suppose that sickness incursions of Divels or extreme suffering be on If 2. A more special supernatural providence of a heavenly fervor and stirring of the Spirit be on If 3. Only the obligation of a command be on to pray upon all occasions Christian prudence directing to obey affirmative Precepts Now as to the First Ass 1. Suppose there be some seeming contradiction betwixt extreme pain and absence or withdrawings yet a seeming contradiction only and not real it is and the man is called to an habitual praying disposition because what commands obligeth us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind Ephes 4. 23. lays a tie on us to doe it without delay Isa 55. 6. Psal 55. 7 8. Joel 2. 12. and consequenter ever to be in a savoury disposition and to savour of the things of the Spirit whether the spirit actually heat the soul with such savoriness for otherwise our Saviour rebukes the disciples on no just ground when they were sleepy for want of an actual heavenly disposition to pray Could ye not watch with me one hour The physical indisposition to pray does not take away the moral obligation to pray then 2. Though pain and extreme soul-heaviness that the man cannot speak Psal 77. 4. and Hezekiah can but chatter as a crane or a swallow Isa 38. 14. and the Church can scarce breath out a word of prayer Lam. 3. 36. yet doth not the Lord in sending on a physical or judicial indisposition contradict his own moral tie which he hath laid on by his command to pray at all times Ass 2. If a more spiritual heat of Spirit enclining to pray or prophecy or preach or praise be on David Psal 39. 1 2 3. on Ezekiel chap. 3. 14. on Paul Acts 17. 16 17 22 c. on the same Royal Prophet Psal 57. 7 8 9 10. Psal 45. 1 2. then two fires being stirred should flame more vehemently when to this fire there is a command added now though Oars be laid aside as uselesse when the wind is fair and favourable on the Sayls and it be not possible that a man can both ride on a spirited nimble horse and also walk the same time on foot yet here by no means must the word or conscience of the command of God be laid aside For as the physical facility comes from the spirit 's holy impulsion and spiritual warmness that is on so the savoury and gracious morality flows from the considered and believed precept and the sanctified heart would close sweetly both with the one and the other for specially the moral or obediential part is from the command and the most genuine and kindly obedience comes from the Word It is the real and physical part that comes from the Spirit and that is onely so far good and morally lawful as the Spirit and Word goe along together Ass 3. It must be holden that duty as duty is a moral motive we are to be led withal and we to look with fear and trembling to the command what
their faces with wings as blushing before infinite holiness why bestows he not as much saving influences on me as on David Moses Noah Job and Daniel why not as much grace and of the fulness of the anointing as upon the man Christ that holy thing Jesus 4. And is not free goodness here complained of God knowingly and wittingly saith the lying Divel envying you should be gods forbids you to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil Envy is contrary to communicative goodness free goodness gives freely in measure in weight and number as best pleaseth him now God gives not grace enough 5. His holiness and righteousness is arraigned 1. He did not from eternity shew mercy nor provide a new heart for me then that I serve not as he deserves let him blame himself not me 2. He created me a slippery clay vessel which he saw should fall upon stones and be broken he might have made me brass and iron that could not be broken And 3. that I sin wanting the fulness of the anointing and influences in a personal union as in the man Christ is a defect in God not in man and all the sins I commit he could have prevented them and either would not or could not 6. It s repugnant to the Lord 's holy charge in governing the world I would be holy and run but he withdraws influences What is this but I doe my part but the Lord is wanting in his part I am willing to run but he draws not I follow but he refuses to lead me I answer but he calleth not a holy meekned soul sees all the blame in it self and mercy and inviting kindness in God 7. I would doe otherwise but ah my sinful nature I was born in sin this is a blaming of providence 1. God denies influences and the fulness of the holy Ghost from the womb to me and all mankind which he gave to the man Christ But 1. The flowing of sin original is a work of holy justice who so punished the first fall and you carp not at the indwelling of sin original by which the poyson of the sinful nature is hateful to God Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. but at the Lord 's righteous smiting of our nature Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou Isa 45. 9. and as if he were a patient under sin original Ah I would be from under a body of sin but I am captive sold under sin This is a lye every man is in this sense a captive under sin original in that nill he will he he is born in sin and the flux of justice so determined ere the man was born but the unrenewed Objector is not so a captive he that was never humbled for sin original as David confesseth it his plagne and sore Psal 51. 5. and Job 14. 4. is not a captive but a consenter to sin original 2. He that willingly lends lodging and a furnace and a warm hearth-stone to sin original and remains willingly in the state of unrenewed nature is not a patient under sin original the man is not a captive and a prisoner against his will to him who hath the power of life and death and to him who sends a writ of grace and bids him come out and casts ope the prison doors yet he remains there eats drinks sleeps sports Christ the Lord of life hath sent the Gospel which is a bill of free grace he bids you come out of cursed nature be renewed in the spirit of your mind come to me and I will ease you yet ye will not change your life this 20 30 40 years since the Gospel of grace came to you you eat drink sleep wake laugh rejoyce in a state of distance from Christ and refuse to come out of that prison 3. I would I were without original sin ye say and yet when you willingly lye swear whore you put seal subscription and consent to Adam's first sin He that delights in the streams and drinks with delight does he not love the water of the fountain then to say I would be without sin original is as much as I would be without sin and I would not be without sin does not this man allow Adam's deed and serve himself heir to Adam his father's sin twenty times in one day and in such a man sin original is not diminished and brought down to a sin of infirmity as in Paul Rom. 7. 15. For that which I doe I allow not for what I would that I doe not but what I hate that I doe That is a sanctified would a renewed hatred of one entering a protestation against sin but original sin lives in its vigour and reign of the Law in this man and where this sin hath the full consent and bensil of the will the Law in its condemning power is on its side Hence that excuse the man brings as in Fenner's Wilfull impenitency page 95. 96. which proves that he is not humbled thou excusest thy self for thy original sin too Lord I would be without original sin but I cannot if I could I would Belike then if it had been thy case as it was Adam 's thou wouldest not have eaten of the forbidden fruit and therefore it was his fault and not thine and thou wouldest not have sinned if thou couldst have otherwise chused David confesseth this sin as his personal as well as his natural sin Psal 51. 5. Behold in iniquity that is the highest of sin I was formed and in sin did my mother warme me or conceive me He names the person twice and the holy Ghost blacks all faces with this sin Rom. 5. 12. All 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have sinned and yet this Objector is more innocent then Adam Verse 18. By the offence of one judgement came upon all men unto condemnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 19. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners that is all except the man Christ and this man must be free of sin and condemnation as the second Adam 4. He would have original sin removed in an extraordinary way and not in the Lord 's own way and so tempts God as Satan tempted Christ to work miracles for bread and to cast himself down over the pinacle of the Temple 1. Now this Lord I would be without sin original but I cannot thou hast so ordained my nature to be but it is against my will and my heart for my heart hates it its double dealing and an untruth for then the will must be clean then the Objector must be cleaner and holier then God says in Scripture the unrenewed man is 2. Then must the will be by nature free of sin original whereas the frame of the heart is only evil from the womb and deceitful and desperately wicked Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. Jer. 17. 9. 3. Then must the holy Lord be in the fault who might give influences of grace and a whole nature
the Pharisees meets the words of rebuke in Christ's mouth and bitterness in Herod resounds when John Baptist does rebuke his incest and adultery Take it for a sad condition when there is a practical contrariety and hatred betwixt the heart and the word of the Lord a heart loathing of the word and a rejecting thereof is dreadful whereas the esteeming of the word sweeter then the honey or the honey comb more then thousands of silver and gold the mans treasure his heritage his souls delight and love night and day his work meditation study wisedom do proclaim much of the new creation the word being the seed of the new birth and new creations must love the mother seed it s own native beginning as the streams are of the same nature and likeness with the fountain the Word tries all mens hearts see Joh. 7. 40 41 42 43 44 45 46. Luk. 4. 21 22 23 24 25 28 29. Acts 2. 12 13 37 38 39. Acts 7. 54 55 c. Acts 13. 38 42 43 44 45 46. Acts 14. 1 2 3 4 5 c. Acts 17. 34 35 36. Some believe some mock the natural man cannot close with the word Now Christ is given as a Leader and Commander to the people Isa 55. 4. charge him not as a misleading and a rash guide because he carries you through a wildernesse where there is neither flood nor fountain on the Earth nor dew or rain from Heaven you are withered and no influences come from him let faith complain of the barrenness of the Earth but justifie the driness of the clouds it s the wisedom of God that teacheth the believer to weep because he wants rain and moistness and is sinfully dry and yet to submit to him who denies rain and dew for he gives not here upon just grounds and holily I want deservedly for my just demerit Part. II CHAP. I. 1. God acts upon the creature first and not the creature first upon God 2. The Lord's dominion of influences on free will 3. Nor are we to be idle and sleep because the Lord is Master of his own influences 4. The Lord commands not us to have or want influences 5. Influences are not our warrant to act but the efficient cause thereof HItherto much hath been said of the Soveraignty of the Lord in divine influences Now are we to speak of the way of getting these influences and of the necessity of them and how we may fetch the wind 1. By natural actings 2. By supernatural actings by the word and promise 3. By the efficient causes of influences especially by the Spirit Hence the division of influences 1. By the infused habit of grace 2. By spiritual dispositions In all which our faith praying using of grace have their several influences What we may doe to fetch heavenly influences from God is above my reach to determine only let these Propositions be considered Prop. 1. God by order of nature first acts upon the creature and gives his stirring up influence to it We cannot in genere causae physicae first breath upon God he prevenes the Sun and the Sun riseth or riseth not as the Lord pleaseth to act upon it but no second causes do prevene the first or universal cause the Sun and Heaven do act first upon the Rose but the Rose doth not first act upon the Sun and Heaven Job 37. 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his works c. By the breath of God frost is given this shows that the host of creatures in Heaven and in Earth and the Sea are all dead passive sleepy cyphers and can do nothing if the Lord do not stir them God must be Father Lord and Author of all created actings and faith would without carefulness or unbelief commit all to so wise a Steersman though Phil. 4. 6. the Sea shall drown me the Fire consume me the Air suffocate me yet I desire to hear and obey that Be careful in nothing but pray Matth. 6. I shall perish for want ver 25. Take no thought They will kill me if I confess Christ Fear not Matth. 10. 28 29. your Father cares for two sparrows and for every hair of your head O but the Ship I am in is a sinking Matth. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful waken Christ by praying ah my little daughter is dead Fear not only believe Mark 5. 36. ah they shall deliver us to synagogues and prisons and bring us before Kings and all men shall hate us for Christ's sake True But there shall not one hair of your head perish it s but our unbelief which sees God suffering all to roll and reel as Fortune Nature and Devils will which makes us sinfully care For the Lord and Father of Christ cannot vace and Christ's not working is contrary to John 5. 17. but all are in a good hand Obj. But Heman saith Psal 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in piel antecessit antevert it praeoccupavit anticipavit it s to go before in time in earliness Psal 119. 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watch Deut. 23. 4. The Amalekites prevented you not with bread it s to go before in place Psal 68. 26. The singers went before its strange that any prayer could prevent God Ans Not properly he saith himself JOb 41. 11. Who hath prevented me the same word that I should repay him then our preventing of God should lay some debt upon God which is unpossible and as Paul observes Rom. 11. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who gave him first Therefore 1. He speaks Psal 88. of God after the manner of men as if Heman in a manner were more early up in the morning to pray then the Lord were ready to hear the contrary whereof is true as if Heman's early praying wakened God Psal 44. 23. Awake why sleepest thou 2. There is a preventing of God as a Deliverer and a Comforter God's order is that our praying makes an impulsion and stirring on the Lord first and then he delivers and comforts Psal 24. 6. Psal 18. 6 7 16. and so in order to comfort and deliverance in genere mediorum moralium prayer wakens Heaven and puts the Lord a working but as touching the order of real and physical actings the Lord prevents us the string of the Harp or Viol is not said to touch the hand of the Musician but the Musician's hand toucheth the string hence is Musick Nor does the Axe stir and lift up the arm of the Carpenter but the Carpenter's arm lifts up the Axe therefore they who teach that our prayer and the actings of our free will can and may prevent grace in place of preventing grace give us nature and the creature preventing God we read of the Father drawing us and the Son with the odour of his ointments drawing sinners but to teach that nature prevents grace is to say we are
before and above God whereas the Rose warms not the Sun but the Sun warms and nourishes the Rose and the corn and herbs do not refresh the Heaven and the Clouds but Heaven and Clouds nourish and refresh the corn and grass and it must be untoward and froward divinity that the sick man heals the Physician It is the grace to speak so of the Lord 's free grace that the Lord prevents us not we him its impossible that nature can prevent grace Prop. 2. Though the Lord's promise and his free decree hath tyed himself in a manner to be prevented by a moral cause yet that moral cause even the praying man stirs not until God first prevent him to pray Hence the Lord moves and wheels about the heart and will of the man who is most free and most absolute among all the sons of men even the King Prov. 21. 1. and that not if the King will and say amen with his prior or former or collateral consent but whithersoever Jehovah will Hence our prayers that God would incline our hearts to his testimonies Psal 119. 36. Not incline the heart to any evil thing Psal 141. 4. Vnite the heart to fear his name Psal 86. 11. So Jacob prays the Lord would give his sons favour in the eyes of the Governour of Egypt a Heathen man as to him Esther and her maids pray for grace in the eyes of Ahasuerus see Gen. 43. 14. The Lord Almighty give you mercy before the man If God could not indecliuably bow the will to his own way side or end be it by antecedent predetermination or what way else you shall call it so the Lord be the more Master of willing and nilling then the creature but in so doing he should destroy free will we should in all such petitions pray for the destroying of free will where sure we pray for perfecting and the sanctified bowing of free will to obey God 2. If the dominion of free acts remain strongly in the creatures power we must in these suits incline my heart unto thy testimonies lead us not into temptation pray the Lord for that which is not in his power to give 3. If God do carry free will whithersoever he pleaseth then we must not defer the only praise of our obedience and of our victory over temptations to the grace of God but to free will which made the discriminating difference 1. Hence we are to commit our free will to the Lord's dominion of grace and not to believe that such a tottering Goddesse as free will which hath lost and destroyed Angels and the first man Adam can guide well enough Yea 2. we are to bless the Lord for that impotency if so it may be called that the soveraign Lord's heavenly influences are not in the creatures coffers to be husbanded by the creature how false is it that Christ hath bought free will to himself 3. How sweet is it that our head Christ and we in him are more masters of mens hatred and favour then they are themselves Prov. 3. 1 4. Psal 106. 46. for would enemies and haters shew us favour and love if they were absolute Masters and Lords of their own hatred and love not at all we must thank and blesse an higher hand then such men 4. Should we pray more we should be more rained upon in our withered condition by showrs of influences of grace Object By your way we cannot pray for influences except the Lord bestow on us other foregoing influences Answ What follows but that we are to pray that we may pray and that we are to pray for our own prayers that they may be steeled with faith and strength of grace And David prays for his own prayers Psal 5. 2. Psal 28. 2. Psal 88. 2. Psal 141. 2. 2. Would the Objector relish prayers without influences of grace can nature pray in the holy Ghost can Christ intercede for the accepting of natures work Prop. 3. Because God only is Lord and Master of free-will and of the actings of all creatures we are not to be idle and upon that account to act nothing for then should not the husband-man plow sow and labour for God only is Lord and Master of the actings of the husband-man and without the influences and blessing from on high the husband-mans labours from the beginning of the year to the end were no better then to plant Vine-trees in the bottom of the river Euphrates or to sow Barley or Wheat in the Ocean sea And so should the Sea-man never sayl for God only can create winds and tide and God only is Master of the ebbing and flowing of the Sea and of sayling and of right steering of the Vessel for since the Lord declares not his mind on the contrary by forbidding men to pray and others to plow and sayl 2. Since the Lord offers no positive violence to hinder these actings And 3. because he commandeth us to doe them it becomes us to set to work and to act with and under him and to commit the event and blessing to him Indeed if the Lord were so Lord of our actings as he did all and whole the work and we did act nothing at all in praying yea and in plowing but were meer dead and useless patients as Libertines dream something might follow to justifie our idleness but our corruption following Satan teacheth us either to sacrifice to our own net and say vainly either we doe all and God does nothing and so we darken his glory who works all our works in us and for us or then we say on the other extreme we doe nothing and God does all and therefore must we say let God pray labour the earth trade and sayl and put our hand in our bosome and sleep but the former is sacriledge and idolatry and robs the Lord of his glory and the latter is proclaimed disobedience Yea and whether the influence of God antecedently master the creatures actings or we joyntly and collaterally be mastered and determined by the creature we are in both cases to act and doe what is good and are not to make God's influence our rule of doing or not doing Prop. 4. Hence to have or not to have the influence of God is not commanded in the Word nor have we any physical power over the Lord's acts of Omnipotency for we do not formally love God and keep his Commandments in a way commendable if we speak of the moral cause of obedience because he works in us both to will and to doe but because he hath commanded us to love him and to keep his Commandments John 14. 15. Psal 119. 4 5 6. Hence 1. The Libertine is blasphemously wide the creature can doe says he nothing good or evil God worketh all sin all obedience immediately in us it s in vain to read pray hear the word meditate confer or go about works of reforming abuses in religion because all these are to no purpose without the
of Christ's arrow and under the smiting and stroke of the drawn sword of the Gospel for Christ puts forth his power in his Ministers and renewed and unrenewed may come and hear 3. The difference betwixt the Law and Gospel is that the Law neither promises nor gives strength but presupposeth that the man hath strength but the Gospel promiseth a new heart and the Law engraven in the heart therefore Christ doth reign in the New Testament in the actual Omnipotency of grace and men by a meer local motion of nature or some superadded morality good or bad come in to wisedoms house of wine and bring themselves in under the scattered fire coals of Gospel-administration with no intention spiritual to believe and be saved and so the coming in to hear and the applying of the natural organ of hearing the setting on work the unrenewed mind judgment conscience heart and affections to the literal considering and weighing of the strong reasons that are in the Gospel casteth the man and his soul by a good and inevitable consequent under such heavenly flamings of quickning influences as convey the preached Gospel by an Ordinance of God in due order to cause such as are chosen of God believe it s in a mans free will to draw near to the fire or not to draw near but when he is come to the fire side the fire can make him hot whether he will or no. By a free election a man casts timber in the fire but without any election a strong fire cannot choose but burn dry fewel It s true the sea-man cannot create winds nor change the blowing of the wind from East to West yet he can prepare his vessel hoise the sayls and fit the ship for receiving the winds The husband-man hath no command of winds of rain of clouds of summer Sun yet may he dress labour and sit and prepare his rigs and garden to lie under the seasonable influences of such Summer air rain dew and impressions of the heaven and the clouds as the Lord of nature shall afford Now as all the Kings and Powers on earth cannot command wind and rain so is there no industry required of the husband-man to procure summer or calm seasons nor can the Plough act upon the Sun and clouds nor is the blame to be laid upon the Seamans sleepiness that the wind is not fair for sayling and that the Sea flows not so high yet hath the Lord of purpose left to all unrenewed men born where the Gospel is preached the gates and ports of wisedoms house open that they may come and hear and pass their judgement what they think of Emanuel's land that runs with wine and milk yea and the entry to this house is feazable and accessible by natural strength to fools and ideots to learned and unlearned so that they need not say Who shall ascend up to heaven That is to bring Christ again from above Or who shall descend into the deep That is to bring up Christ again from the dead But the word is now near even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of faith which we preach Rom. 10. 7 8 9 10. Deut. 13. 14. The preached Law leading pedagogically to Christ in Moses time and the plainly preached Gospel offered to all in Paul's time is an open door to all who love to come near to Christ and to be warmed by him in which consideration there is a key put in every mans hand 1. The unrenewed man turns away his ear from the Law and will not let the news of the Gospel lodge in his ear or the outer room of his soul ye set not a work the literal actings and cogitations of the heart to think whether Christ and Heaven and Hell conconcerns you or no. So 2. The believer under deadnesse and saddest desertion when he is at this All is but counterfeit work I had before Psal 31. 22. Jer. 2. 4. Job 13. 24. God reputes me as an enemy He may read the word hear the Gospel preached and cast himself in Christ's way and come in under the cast of his saving influences and so the fire may be kindled of new the sin is that the natural man useth wit judgment memory for a worldly bargain of gain but not for salvation 3. Christ is in his own ordinance never man before he be converted can savingly intend his own conversion Peter and John and Matthew when Christ spoke to them minded no saving work on their spirits nor did the three thousand Acts 2. nor the Jaylor Acts 16. mind so much as they met with Many came to Christ for bodily health and to be freed of Satan in a bodily possession yet when they see and hear Christ lying at wait in ambush in the preached Gospel they are beyond their intentions taken captives There is a great difference betwixt the doing of the bulk and body of an action and the action commanded by the highest authority of God even though the man perform not the action upon the account of a divine command Suppose Naaman had seven times and seventy seven times washed himself in Jordan some days before the Prophet of the Lord commanded him to wash it had been to no purpose he had not been cleansed from his Leprosie It were good we prize more that which men call the foolishness of preaching the Spirit breaths in and through his own ordinance when we know not Quest How can it stand with justice to command us to make our selves a new heart and a new Spirit since we are unable to make to our selves a new heart Ezech. 18. 51. for saith Pelagius inability to obey cannot be both a sin and a punishment of sin Ans 1. The commands of circumcising our selves to the Lord and of making a new heart which are laid upon us are materially Evangelick but as they are charged upon unrenewed men they are formally legal upon the Lord's intention also Evangelick to the chosen to fit them for Christ Nor can these commands have this sense I command and enjoyn to you the omnipotent infusion of a new heart 1. God lays no acts of the infinite and omnipotent God upon the finite creature 2. It is not his intention nay nor his will that reprobates create in themselves new vital principles of life since no such supernatural principles of the life of Christ was merited to them by the death of Christ 3. It s not physically possible to the Elect or to any to create a new heart to themselves from the very same principles in number which they lost in Adam for its a contradiction that what is done should not be done and what is lost should not be lost Nor can the Lord command the glorified in Heaven in whom the habit of holinesse is perfected to be now in glory justified by works for as its a contradiction that such as once broke the Law can be said never to have broken the Law so is it
me hope when I was on my mothers brest c. So is there Psal 102. fainting ver 3. My bones are consumed like smoke and my bones are burnt as an hearth Ver. 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass And ver 12. there is a rising of faith But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance to all generations Ver. 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion Psal 77. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak Ver. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever It s low enough now and yet how doth the Church lift up her head Ver. 13. Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a Lord as our God So Lam. 1. 2 3 4 5 6. 7 8 c. compared with ver 2 22 23. in which actings under unbelief and customary formality with some glimmering of fainting faith eying the command of God in the darknesse when there is no light Isa 60. 10 11 c. there go along some farther actings of the spirit not that we think there is any truth of that of the School-men To him who doth what he can by the strength of nature God denies not helps and influences of grace Yet in these we see God comes along with his influences But if we say 4. That there are in the renewed child of God some stirrings of the spirit in all these acts we go about under deadness then one act of praying and the influence of grace makes way physically to another and that to a third for to say nothing of the promise To him that hath it shall be given of which hereafter I do but provoke to the experience of the Saints if here the second pull of prayer be not stronger then the first and the third then the second and the fourth above the third for when the wheels are a going the Organs of the spirit do not weary And there is a reserve of fresh strength and a stronger recruit and supply in Jacobs wrestling until the dawning reserved and more strength of heavenly violence to prevail with God then in his wrestling all the night Gen. 32. 26. Let me go saith the Angel of the Covenant Christ for the day breaketh And he said I will not let thee go except thou blesse me 28. As a Prince thou hast power with God saith the Lord to him And we see one throwing about of the key when the lock of the door is rusted maketh the second throwing obout more easie and the third throw does yet more and the seventh or the tenth throw makes the passage of the iron bolt yet most easie and the door at length with little violence is opened when now the rust and straitnesse is removed And a flaming of the fire prevailing over a dry tree makes easie way to a second flaming and that to a third and so to all the rest till the timber be consumed and the fire be fully victorious Believing adds to believing praying begets more praying and we see motion breeds warmnesse and that stronger motion and cold hearts that are dead and almost frozen by one smiting of influences grow hotter and by two or three or seven actings of the spirit grow yet hotter and yet more â—ot And there is something in that Cant. 6. 11. I went down to the garden of nuts 12. Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariot of Aminadab or of my wilâ—ing people There is some stiffnesse upon the living man when he first begins to move but a little motion makes him more agile Dr. Preston may aim at the like truth If a man saith he were to run a race if he were to doe any bodily exercise there must be strength of body he must be fed well that he may have ability but the use of the very exercise it self the very particular act which is of the same kinde with the exercise is the best thing to fit him for it So in this dutie of prayer it 's true to be strong in the inner man to have much knowledge to have much grace makes a man fit and able for the duty But if you speak of the immediate preparation for it I say the best way to prepare us for it is the very duty it self as all actions of the same kind increase the habits so prayer makes us fit for prayer and that is a rule The way to godlinesse is the compass of godlinesse it self that is the way to grow in grace is the exercise of that grace I wish this man of God and others more experienced then I had said more of this unknown subject and that the Lord would sit builders in both Kingdomes to draw up a body of Theologia practica that Divinity were more in our hearts it s too much in the heads of many only I speak here of preparation to receive influences D. Preston of the preparation to duties to praying under indisposition But I would not be understood so as if I thought acts of influences which are acts of Omnipotency might be sharpened and facilitated by our actings Only my meaning is that the passive capacity of the soul may be widened and enlarged to receive showres of quickening influences from the Lord by frequent acts Experience in my weak apprehension may speak influence of grace oyls the wheels of the soul Prov. 1. 5. A wise man will hear and encrease learning and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels We grow hot like hot iron redded in the fire by praying and are softned and macerated like dry and parched ground by frequent showres and though the heart be frozen and cold when we begin to duties of praying praising meditating conferring of the word hearing yet incalescimus we grow warm by acting the rising of the Sun causeth the Ice to drop off the houses It s a naughty heart that is in the same case after frequent prayer that it was in before It says that the man hath been sweating at the letter and bark of the duty little of the bark or letter of the duty takes glewing with the heart but hardly can the grace of the duty go along with the heart but there is much that cleaves to the heart so that influences thaw the heart Luke 24. 32. Did not say the Disciples our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while the opened to us the Scriptures Cant. 1. 4. When the King brought me into his chambers we will be glad rejoyce in thee and remember thy love more then wine Sure when the influences of Christ are fiery and live coals it is no wonder they leave lively warmings upon the heart Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North wind and come thou South and blow vpon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out It must be a speech to the Spirit to breath upon the Saints that they may smel and flow more in the actings of
iniquity then upon the account of a holy walk the Lord must bestow influences of grace to preserve men from doing acts of iniquity And there must be a promise of influences that such as walk in the Law of the Lord shall walk more in that Law Prov. 1. 5. A wise man will hear and encrease more in learning then to spiritual wisedome there must be a promise of influences to encrease spiritual wisedom Isa 40. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and walk and not faint Then waiting on the Lord shall fetch the wind of new quickening influences to wait more upon the Lord and to run and they that run shall run more and which falls not out in physical running when they are running Now fresh swiftness and recent vigour of speed shall be given to the runner and larger breath and spiritnesse then he had before None are thriving and growing men as the godly are Mal. 4. 2. But unto you that fear my Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and ye shall goe forth and grow as calves in the stall Prov. 4. 18. But the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day In which dispensation 1. Such as are more proud with plenty of means and plague themselves with abundance occasion the truth of this that Christ sends the rich empty away and throws the mighty down from their seats and their golden and silken chairs Luke 52. 53. And the rich and the full saith Hannah 1 Sam. 2. 5. have hired out themselves for bread And since men will be plagued and poysoned with plenty let it be so and that lie upon them as a word of chiding Deut. 29. 3. The great temptations which thine eyes have seen the signs and these great miracles Ver. 4. Yet the Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive nor eyes to see nor ears to hear unto this day And is the Lord complaining of himself in this place No he will not have them to search into the depth of soveraignty ver 29. because God gave them not an heart Nay but his scope is to complain of the peoples abusing of the plenty of means I gave you the grace of outward means but ye misgraced to speak so your own heart therefore it is just that ye be blind and deaf since ye wickedly wink and stop your ears though it cannot be denied that God would have them humbled by reflecting on their own wilful winking and blindness yet so as they should tremble and stoop at him who can give a new heart and eyes and ears but of soveraignty denies it to the reprobates of whom he complains that the chosen may tremble 2. We are hence led to consider the nature of God's promises that they are much unlike to the promises and covenants between man and man For it comes to this such as have influences from the Lord to run through his free grace the Lord of the same free grace giveth new influences to them to run more The Lord because he makes some rich in grace he makes them of rich in grace yet more rich in grace and whom he loves freely he yet more freely loves And the truth is the Lord makes himself debtor to his own grace not to our industry As Augustine the Lord gave being and milk to my Nurse to feed me thou gavest me nilling and willing where is my merit then 3. Free grace infused the first habit so by infusion of grace he adds parcels to the first habit so that the increase of the habit of grace is as free grace as the first habit and there is no earning nor hiring of grace or engaging of the Lord else grace should not be grace and works should not be works 4. By some hainous old and over years guiltiness we give place to the Divel and rotten talking and malice and wrath stealing in Paul is put to that necessary word Ephes 4. 26 27 28 29 30 31. Grieve not the Spirit of God by which ye are sealed to the day of redemption For such sins bring on withdrawing of influences Christ knocks and ye put a little stone in the Key-hole and the sprent is broken and the dore will neither open nor shut when the wheels of the Horologue are broke there is no sound of hours heard when the bones are crushed the man cannot walk the spiritual organs dispositions and powers of David's soul were blunted and out of frame by his adultery and bloud-guiltinesse No wonder then the Spirit was unwilling to dwell and act in his wonted lodging Psal 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not saith he thy holy Spirit from me 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit It s good to keep the wheels whole But sin cannot so interdict or lay an arrestment upon influences as to conclude and restrain the free grace of God nor does the Lord by the Saints falls fall from his soveraignty and princedom of grace yea rather from the heightning and abounding of sin does the reign and Kingly power of grace shine the more the more tumid the boyl is and the more the flesh about it burns and flames with the swelling of the humour the more it is ripened for breaking and healing A Feaver at the height begins to decline as the Sea full at the outmost point of the shore does reflow and ebb again See death and sin's reign and grace and Christ's reign Rom. 5. 15 17 21. See Ezech. 20. 23. Ezech. 16. 59 60. Ezech. 26. 21 22 23. 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16 17. make some ripeness for fulness of grace Though Christ's reign cannot ebb or fall But no thanks to the sinner but great praise to him who makes medicine of the rotten and attry bloud of our wounds 5. It s considerable that gracious actings fetch influences for other gracious actings for grace is nearer of kin to grace then nature can be to grace Now as touching the Author of influences that we may come more particularly to the supernaturalness of influences we know the Father the Son the holy Spirit are all in Scripture said to act upon the soul in a gracious way It shall not be needful to speak much of the Father's influences upon the man Christ in sending and bestowing the Spirit and the anointing above his fellows upon him In the influences of the God-head in a personal union upon the Man Christ in filling him with the holy Ghost from the womb and especially the Lord was mighty in him in preaching with authority so that the hearers were astonished and all wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth in praying while his countenance shined And 2. The Lord's influences were evident in disputing with
22. Isa 49. 5 6 7 8 9. Psal 89. 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37. 4. The promises of the covenant between the Father and the Son prove the same for if God give many children to Christ and if Christ undertake for these many children to bring them to glory to cast none of them forth but to raise them up at the last day and to lose none of them Then must Christ be Master of their free will and he must have a bar of strong influences on their heart that it shall not be in the power of Satan the world or sinful flesh to pluck them out of his hand Hence against all trepidation of mind this is removed what warrant have we that we can make use of the influences of grace that are in the hands of the Son these are a fowl flying in the wood which we cannot command take these answers 1. What ever Mediatory grace is in the Son they are gracious influences laid by for our good as what sums of money a rich man is to give out for the profit of Minors he mixes it not with his own but looks on it as none of his but to be expended for the good of others and the Minors having assurance of the faithfulnesse and care of their Tutors look upon it as their own we are by faith to look upon the treasury of Christ that is begun to be bestowed on us and that Christ shall not withdraw being a most faithful Tutor what is necessary for our best life 2. Christ being the best of Kings the most faithful of Priests and above all the Prophets Moses and who ever they were by office is to give out influences If we believe that Christ shall acquit himself as a King then shall his subjects find the outlettings of grace for repentance and remission Acts 5. 31. for Christ is worthy of his throue and chair of Princely state We are to believe as our high Priest he shall by vertue of his office apply by the Spirit the bloud of attonement and sprinkle the nations therewith As also when we sin he gives out influences for believing that our Advocate lives and intercedes for us and the acts of opening the heart to believe the Scriptures to be guided in all truth to be comforted and quickned come from Christ the great Prophet and if he be God what the Governour of Heaven and Earth does by his office if he feed all living things the Ravens move not the question what they shall eat to morrow nor the Lillies of the field how they shall be cloathed far more believers are to rest upon this Christ shall fully execute all his offices in all parts towards them 3. The Vine-tree by a flux of nature sends sap to the branches and the head does not deliberate nor interpose freedome of will to send down life and influences of life to the members but nature hath a strong hand in this at least love is soon resolved in the husband what shall be the influences of good communicated by him to the Spouse The great thing Redemption is purchased and will Christ stand and doubt of influences of grace to compleat the Redemption and to make out the life of glory until it come to the fruition and enjoyment thereof CHAP. VI. The two spirits of the world and of God 1 Cor. 2 12. and the differences in order to influences opened 3. The characters of the spirit of God and the relation of the spirit to the word 3. The spirit of Antichrist 4. The more of the spirit the more activity in the ways of God 5. The Spirit of God a praying spirit 6. No praying without the spirit 7. The suspending of influences 8. We are to pray for influences 9. Two-fold power and efficacy 10. The difference betwixt the spirits acting and the literal acting of the word BUt influences of the Spirit are mainly here to be eyed and if any have the spirit he cannot want the influences of God The Spirit is as it were all saving influences and such as are void of the spirit know not any thing of saving influences Yea the Father and the Son let out all their influences in and by the Spirit Therefore to open this consider 1. That there are two sorts 2. The characters and differences of the Spirit of God which speak a spiritual man and spiritual influences 3. What are the divers influences to be taken notice of The two spirits are clear 1 Cor. 2. 12. But we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God Paul had said that the world and the Princes of the world knew not the mystery of the Gospel why They had not crucified the Lord of glory had they known him As also the spirit teacheth it ver 10. how is that proved from the nature of an infinite spirit that searcheth all the things of the infinite God even as a mans spirit searcheth all the things of a man v. 12. How can we know the things of God they are far above us He answers we who have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God doe know the things that are graciously given us of God they know the things of God But v. 12. we are such Q. What is meant by the spirit of the world Ans It s the humane spirit by which we know Arts and Sciences and the things of a present world which is also the Spirit of God and a singular gift of God But there is somewhat more in this spirit a carnal spirit that is opposite to the Spirit that is of God a spirit that judges the depths of Gospel wisedom to be foolishnesse ver 13 14. Hence the differences of the two spirits 1. There are no saving influences due to the spirit of the world The worlds spirit sees the mysteries of Philosophy and Arts and the good things of a present flowing world and no more And as an old man sees all that a child can see and know and much more in a more solid way So the children of God often as Moses Solomon Daniel Paul see with the spirit of the world in this sense all which the men of the world see and in a more spiritual way and beside the Spirit of God in them knows higher things that are hid from the world and their spirit As 1. How Heaven lies how many Summers are in one year in that land 2. The rivers of wine and milk Isa 55. 1. the garden the second Paradise the tree of life that bears twelve manner of fruits every moneth and the leaves serve to heal the Nations and the pure river of water of life clear as chrystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22. 1 2. Rev. 2. 7. 3. What a plantation is there what streets of gold the rich citizens walk in with their feet Rev. 21. the structure of the new Jerusalem the
in which regard the word of God from the Author the Holy Ghost hath actu primo as touching the matter and efficient cause holiness liveliness divinity majesty of style even as contradistinguished from the spirit acting with it there is no word no book no speech of Angels or Men comparable to it There is 2. A formal power which agrees to the word actu secundo as the spirit going along with the word makes it effectual to enlighten to teach to rebuke to convince to perswade so our Divines say a modern Lutheran widely mistakes the efficacy of the word is from the spirit 2 Cor. 10. 4. the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty how mighty not of themselves but mighty through God We make not the word of it self a dead inky letter as Papists and Libertines both doe The like distinction is clear in a Sword or an Axe of steel both the one and the other from the matter and artificer that made them hath actu primo sharpness and aptness to cut Suppose the Artificer that made both be dead yet the sharpest two-edged sword that is except it be weelded by the arm of a valiant man can doe no good in war And the like may be said of the Axe both are dead things of themselves Hence 1. Since we are meer Messengers we cannot breath life in the word only like the Trumpeter that blows his warm breath through a dead trumpet of Brasse but he blows or breaths no valour or courage in the souldiers that was not in them before But if the spirit goe along and breath life in the hearers they shall live as speaking and acting are conjoyned Ezech. 2. 1. Son of man stand upon thy feet and I will speak to thee 2. Then the spirit entered into me when he spake to me and he set me on my feet So John 5. 25. Ezech. 37. 7 8. It not a little concerns Ministers and Hearers to pray that the spirit may go along with the word otherwise the shepherds singing through an â—aten reed shall never feed sheep or lambs and make them fat and people often receive in their ears a noise of words and syllables and are not fed with sounds It 's true Christ and the Prophets and Apostles preached in the spirit and in the lively power of God and yet nothing but the letter came to the ears of many of their hearers Isa 53. 1. Isa 28. 9. the hearers are but as weaned children Mat. 13. 13 14 15. the hearers are fatted hypocrites And a poor man speaks the letter of the word and happily deadly and weakly yet betwixt the speakers mouth and the hearers heart the spirit strikes in and the dead man lives 2. The letter of the word spoken by Christ lies dead until the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost come then he shall teach you all things in a lively way which the man Christ as man only did not and bring all things to your remembrance John 14. 26. 3. The light may remain only light and literal and uselesse the Disciples in the garden with Christ knew they should watch and pray yet they sleep The spirit brings not up literal light to spiritually quickning light John 16. 7. The spirit shall convince the world of sin because they believe not in me What did not all the Prophets convince the world of sinful unbelief Isa 7. If ye believe not ye shall not be established Isa 53. Who hath believed our report Did not Christ himself convince the world of sinful unbelief John 3. 18 36. John 5. 24. John 11. 26 27. and all the Ministers of the New Testament convince men that they ought to believe and receive Christ by faith But all these are but literal convictions until the spirit carry into the heart the marrow of the promises and threatnings of the Gospel with a strong hand and the natural man while he is in the mouth of Hell with Judas is convinced of the Law deserving and of unbeliefs desert but not of actual damnation The deceit of the conscience is this that all are under sin and the curse who believe not but God must give a general suspension against the Gospels decree and sentence of death for my unbelief and to most of mankind Ah this is not to be convinced of unbelief by the spirits working Nor in all this does the spirit adde any divine majesty and power to the word which was not in the word before when he effectually perswades and convinces As the hewer puts no metal in the Axe which was not in it before only he applies powerfully his strength and art to the effects which he produceth by the Axe and other tools by which he makes curious carved work Nor does the souldier adde any new sharpnesse to the Sword which it had not before only he useth the Sword for valorous exploits All that the spirit doth is in the powerful and effectual application of threatnings and promises in actual perswading to believe all the majesty and heavenly power the word hath actu primo from the immediately inspiring spirit and this is alike to all only much godly trembling is required that the spirit may in his mighty influences goe out with the word 2. Hence that is wild-fire and sparkles of hell not the spirit of Christ nor the influences of grace when a dumb spirit speaks not in the word but in signes images ceremonies devised by men as a dumb man speaks with his fingers The Spirit of God loves to work and act with his own tools in the testimonies and promises the Spirit of the Lord never bids burn the Bible Antiochus had such influences from hell and not from the Lord. Some make the Bible a horn-book for new beginners only as images are and the man must be all spirit turned into pure spirit why then do themselves speak write such fooleries why do they eat drink sleep hear such as are all spirit doe none of these But though holy men of God were far from making the spirit both Law and Gospel none had more of the secrets and mysterious visions of God revealed to him then John he saw Christ in his glory Rev. 1. 14 15 16. he saw Heaven open and the Throne and glorious company the new Jerusalem Yet Rev. 1. 3. he saith Blessed is he that readeth Can one that is all spirit speak of reading when he had seen all these visions of God Rev. 22. 18. he puts a seal of honour on Canonick Scripture he is charged to write in his divine Epistles These things I have written I write to you fathers c. When Christ is risen from the dead and entred in a most spiritual life Luk. 24. 27. he expones the Scriptures who so mock the Scriptures loath the Spirit also CHAP. VII Characters of a spiritual disposition are these 1. To be willing to be under the guidance of the spirit 2. Four expressions in the Scripture hold
not from the spirit and often the meer office and the letter not the spirit prays and preacheth out of the man it 's far from that praying Rom. 8. 26. And learn to discern the literal fair influences in praying in the flesh and the sweet calm fiery also and spiritual paining influences of love-sicknesse Cant. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 c. 10. Conversing with spiritual men born of the spirit of the same Father John 5. John 3. 1 John 3. 14. Psal 119. 63. with Elias leaning on Christ's bosome in whom is fulnesse of the spirit declares a spiritual man None of the Disciples saw more spiritual and glorious visions then John in the book of the Revelation he would have desired to lean on and dwell in Christ's heart as in his bosome Brethren love one another the common nature and spirit of their Father dwels in them Fowls of the same feathers and colours haunt together Drunkards malignants swearers love to be together beware of wearying to haunt with the spirit and spiritual men and to loath a spiritual Ministery and to look upon spiritual doctrine as upon fancies If it be so with you you shall back to the flesh-pots of Egypt again it s a living near to the fountain to haunt much with the Saints and as the streams are one in the well so do the streams run in the same channel and love to stick together Natures of the same kind lambs with lambs love to live together Psal 119. 13. I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy Precepts A part of the Air keeps its being best in the whole Element whereas a part of the Air is corrupted in the bowels of the Earth where it is out of its own Element a part of water is best preserved in being in the element of water put it in a pit or hole of the earth it 's alone and it becomes rotten and unsavoury The Saints keep their spiritual being with the excellent ones in whom is all their delight Psal 16. 2. as being in their own element and no wonder if it be their woe to dwell long in Mesech and in Kedars tents with such as hate peace Psal 120. 5 6. Psal 57. 4 10. nor is this to flatter such as separate from Christ and his Ordinances nor to say Stand by thy self come not near me for I am holier then thou Isa 65. 5. and yet they themselves remain among the graves and lodge in the monuments Be rather frequenting Hospitals of sick ones making it your work to gain many it 's like to Christ Luke 16. 6 7 10. Matth. 9. 10 11 12 13. Luke 15. God ordinarily showers influences and promiseth influences to the flocking together of the godly and the pouring of his spirit on them Jer 50. 4 5 6. Zech. 8. 21 22 23. Mal. 3. 16. and two speaking of Christ Jesus himself comes in as third man Luke 24. 15 16 17 c. and as if they were the fit soyl he rains down influences of warmness and burning of heart on them while he opens the Scriptures to them v. 32. see Acts 2. 1 2 3 c. Joh. 20. 19. It 's a spiritual condition to talk of spiritual purposes when the well is full it must run over when there is a treasure and abundance in the heart the spirit comes to the tongue in Zachariah and Simeon Luke 2. 25 27. and grace seeths and boyls up to the tongue when the conceptions of the King Christ are the good matter indited by the heart Psal 45. 1. so to be filled with the spirit Ephes 5. 18 19. saith Paul speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs Giving thanks always for all things to God is the spirit's work in his abundant influences There is a spirit in men seen in language the sea-man talks of winds the husband-man of oxen and plowing the souldier of battels and wounds and the shepherd of flocks and the spiritual man of Christ redemption imputed righteousness and as the pilgrims heart and the pilgrims tongue the pilgrims thoughts are all upon his way and his home so is the spiritual man much upon Eternity Heaven Christ for the three noble Conferrers the transfigured man Christ glorified Moses and Elias speak of the celebrious heavenly subject the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and out-going of Christ when he was to leave the world The man hath been full of God who could not refrain from speaking of the Lord's testimonies before Kings and Princes have no great list to hear but of State matters of conquering new Kingdoms Psal 119. 46. the rotten unsavoury worldly and carnal speeches of many bewray how little of the spirit is within them It was Christ who had the fulness of the anointing of the spirit within him Psal 48. 8. I delight to doe thy will O my God thy law is within my heart In Sea and Land and House and Field by the way side journeying at every table when he should have eaten he made good that word ver 9. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation lo I have not refrained my lips thou knowest O Lord. 10. I have not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindness from the great Congregation Influences of grace are required for this as pag. 45. PART III. Influences of Grace CHAP. I. Of divers sorts of Influences HAving formerly spoken of Influences of grace in general we are now to descend to more specials Hence these particulars 1. Some influences are from Satan some from God 2. The way of Satans influences 3. It s lawful to dispute with Hereticks instruments of Satan but not lawful to dispute with Satan 4. Christ sought neither the Tempter nor the temptation 5. Some influences are natural some supernatural 6. Some moral some Physical 7. Some Prophetical some not 8. Some publick on the Church some personal 9. Some influences are given for the habit of grace or gifts some for the act some for both 10. Some proper to the head Christ some for the members 11. Some influences are fundamental some not 12. Some influences are given for saving graces actings some for the actings of a gift 13. Differences between acting of grace and acting of gifts 14. Some influences are viatorum of such as are in the way to their countrey some are comprehensorum of perfected ones some of grace some of glory For the fuller opening of the Doctrine of Influences some influences are from Satan some from God Influences from God are both moral when he commands good and forbids evil and real and physical in that all move in him as the first cause and mover in operations of nature 2. of grace 3. of glory But Satan being no Master or Lord of providence hath no real stirring in second causes his actings upon angel or mens soules are not physical but
Lord upon the head upon the head Christ and the influence of that anointing upon the members to wit on the meek on the broken-hearted on the captives on those that are bound and sold Then saith the man Christ the Spirit of the Lord hath sent the strong and fountain-influences of the abounding anointing on me and I may send the fruits of these holy influences upon the meek to preach to them glad tidings that they may believe and influences upon the broken hearts that they may be bound up and influences on the captives and prisoners and the sold and oppressed with debt that they may be made free for binding up of hearts and freeing of captives and prisoners are impossible without the healing influences of Christ Then saith he God lets out to me and to the members 〈◊〉 the head receive anointing and a full fountain and I issue out streames and life to the members look then as the dry earth hath a sort of connatural right of meanes and end to the full clouds and bottles of heaven and the rain in the clouds and the cold and dead earth hath a sort of connatural right by the Lords holy appointment to the influences of the Sun so by a decree of free grace the broken-hearted the meek the captives the prisoners have a right of meanes in order to the end to the influences of compassion and tenderness and of real grace that in its fulness is in the soul and heart of the Mediator Christ toward their brokenness bondage and misery who are his Then may the captive and prisoner claime influences from Christ as the dry earth in its kind suites and â—egges that raine that is in the bosome and womb of the clouds for its refreshments and so much the more that fulness of Christs anointing is not only ordered by a free and gracious decree as the meanes for this end to supply the emptiness of the meek and the poor captives but 2. also which is more the influences of the fulness of Christs anointing is due by way of merit and of buying and selling to those captives as when there is a large price of blood given for to redeem the man in his vain conversation as 1 Pet. 1. 18. from the present evil world Gal. 1. 15. from the living to sin and in sin 1 Pet. 2. 24. from all iniquity and the bondage and filthiness thereof Tit. 2. 14. There is a due right in law by way of bargain and payment made to Justice upon Christs part that such ought not to be detained slaves captives and prisoners Now the earth hath no such right by buying nor any Jus emptionis to have rain and influences from the clouds and the sun for the Lord may without violation of any bargain turn the earth into iron and the heavens into brass and so may the Lord simply and absolutely deny the fruits Christs anointing binding up of wounds and freedome to the broken-hearted and to the captives and slaves of sin for any deserving in them yet as touching the bargain and engagement of redemption from sins and the dominion masterdome and law imprisonment thereof the meek and the captives have a more noble right in the surety Christ by way of buying and selling to the healing influences of Christs holy anointing then the world can express See also how the spirit in its fulness is given to Christ Isa 11. 2. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him the spirit of wisedom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Isa 42. 1. I will put my spirit on him he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles These be mighty influences on him to whom said John the Baptist God gave not the spirit by measure John 3. 34. 3. There is a right of promise to influences Rev. 2. 7 17 26. Rev. 3. 12 20 21. John 14. 18 21. John 15. 1 2. In Christ promissio facit legale jus Christ as it were oweth me showers of grace for he promised to water me This promise is a draught of the river of life to the deadned spirit 4. There is a mystical dueness and connatural love-right The head by natures law is a sort of debtor for influences of life to the members Here are sweet grounds for the streams to beg from the fountain the members dry and withering from the living head 2. It was fit there should be another higher providence about the head then about the members and so more admirable and transcendent influences extended toward Christ then toward any of the sons of men as that a new star should be created at his birth That 2. God should give testimony of him from heaven immediately This is my beloved Son c. 3. That Angels immediate messengers from heaven should preach his birth-day and place Luke 2. should minister to him in his agony in the garden should watch the corps of this King sleeping in the grave should witness his ascension and what mighty influences above nature must be in his raising the dead commanding devils c. In his coming down from heaven to be man in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily and that the holy body should ascend visibly through the air and through the heavens cleaving yielding and giving way to him what influences in that the clouds are his chariots and that the man Christ intercedes at the right hand of God and sends influences of life all the world over to his members rules all Empires and Kingdomes the languishing and fainting believer is comforted O how suitable is Christs fulness and life to my death and emptiness 3. These must be strong influences that with the anointing Isa 61. 1 2. is given a power to preach the year of vengeance to judge and trample upon the necks of all his enemies that the man Christ shall come visibly and locally from the highest heavens and the heavens bow and yield to his blessed manhood when he comes with his mighty Angels to judge all And he sends 4. influences of judgments through the stars which fight against his enemies Judg. 5. 20. through winds seas and rivers fire and sword and evil Angels that are armed against his enemies Exod. 14. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Exod. 15. 10 11 12. Judg. 5. 21. Gen. 19. 23 24 25. Numb 16. 31 32 33. Psal 78. 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 c. All which teach us not to murmure at providence government of the world Why say we this is sad and yet fallen out God might otherwise have disposed of all and we reflect upon his providence while as we offend at second causes but be comforted in a new world and in a more glorious providence of influences in ruling heaven and earth and in carrying the chosen of God to glory then if all were ruled to our will 1. None shall wither or be blasted that are
the influence by which David should have been guarded against the tempration to adultery and murder the Lord may withdraw such influences that the fallen Saints may know that they stand by grace and therefore from the Lords withdrawings hic nunc let us not conclude we are out of Christ yet we are not to be slack but in trembling and godly fear to keep near to Christ and censure not the Lord for withdrawing of his influences since he stands obliged by his holy covenant not to deny the substantial and fundamental influences by which we shall be saved and persevere to the end 9. Divis There be some influences in which the Lord concurrs with the actings of saving grace as of faith love hope and other influences in which the Lord concurres with the actings of a meer gift or other principles possibly the flesh custome c. and it were good to know the difference betwixt the one and the other Psal 57. 8. Awake my glory awake psaltery and harp and so he speaks to the gift of musick to awake and be concurrent in the praising of God and stirs up the grace of God in himself to praise when he sayes I my self will awake early he teacheth that gift and grace should concur and be stirred up in spiritual duties of praying and praising hence how we may know when we act from a gift and when we act from saving grace these Assertions following Assert 1. Some sinful sleepiness of the flesh may concur in both the acting of the gift and of the grace for David bidding both his harp and so the gift of musick awake and himself awake teacheth some sinful dulness was upon both one and the other So when David excites his soul and all that is within him to bless the Lord Psal 103. 1. he insinuates that in praising of God fleshly dulness may come upon all that is within him both the powers of the soul and the habit of grace and gift and the skill of singing it 's much to get the fountain made clean in our actings 2. How condescending is his mercy who denies not his influences of grace to us though the flesh be acting often and retarding the spirit in our actings Assert 2. We are to take heed that we knock not at the wrong door we may pray and preach from a gift of praying and humane eloquence and a civilized and well-skilled fancy and a literal mind versed in the letter of the Scripture when we think that we are praying from the spirit of adoption and the gracious habit of praying So the like may be said of Preaching and singing praises how many prophecied and cast out Devils from a meer gift and die in that deluded condition and are possessed with that habitual mistake which is never tried that they prophecied and cast out Devils from a sanctified principle read Matth. 7. 22 23 24. Luke 13. 25. Matth. 25. 11 12. If any say May not sound believers also blow at the wrong harthstone and think the like Answ There may be a particular mistake in this or that act but not an habitual deluded condition all their life as sometimes the believer may pray from meer custome when there is little stirring of the spirit Assert 3. It 's not enough to doe the same that heathens doe for if ye love them that love you what reward have ye and if ye salute your brethren only not your enemies also what do ye more then others So Christ Matth. 5. to the multitude and to the disciples Matth. 5. 1 46. Believers then should not stint themselves to only publicans and heathens duties Samuel speaks as a man as Samuel when he calls Eliah the Lords anointed 1 Sam. 16. and supposeth that he speaks as a Prophet so doth Nathan 1 Sam. 16. 6 7. 2 Sam. 7. 3. There is a vast difference betwixt thus saith the Prophet by the Lord and thus saith the man and therefore where are we when our righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees The devils believe there is one God and they doe well James 2. 19. and we fooles say in our hearts there is no God Psal 14. 1. and do we well in so saying The devils do tremble when they believe there is one God ah Satan believes in sad earnest when he believes We sport yea doe not we laugh and mock at a Godhead or at the word of a hell The faith conveyed with godly trembling were good Ah that we know not the influences of God conjoyned with the out-lettings of a gift and of a temporary faith and the influences that goe along with the out-letting of saving grace as touching the matter Assert 4. Hardly can the use of a gift ascend above it self to intend God and his glory for the glory of God is graces end not gifts end Zech. 7. 5. When ye fasted did ye at all fast unto me 6. And when ye did eat and when ye did drink did ye not eat for your selves and did not ye drink for your selves Heb. did not ye your selves eat as carnal men did ye not eat and drink and feast and fast He meanes the spirit of grace in them did not keep these religious fasts and feasts but their own spirit and custome and self and did ye fast for me at all and he doubles the word that so he may the more convince them even for me So the Lord might say to the Pharisees who prayed in the streets Did ye at all pray to me even to me or did the gift and vain-glory in you or the spirit in you So he may say to us Doe ye preach hear swear a covenant for me at all Saving grace must sanctifie the gift in its use and end that it be for God but a gift can never sanctifie saving grace in its use and end As grace which is above nature sanctifies nature and heightens nature in its actings principles and end but nature that is below grace can never sanctisie and heighten grace in its actings principles and ends Assert 5. The same sun the same air and heaven send the same influences on the true and natural olive and on the wild olive the same clouds and rain act upon the vine-tree and the thorn-tree upon the rose and the briar and the nettle and so the same word comes to the ears of both elect and reprobate but not the same quickning influences of grace upon both Saul governes and leads the Armies of the Lord by a gift and David governes feeds and leads the Armies of the Lord by the grace of God and the same word of command layes an obligation upon both false Apostles preach Christ from a gift and labour by a gift but Paul labours not as Paul but the grace of God in him The virgins are drawn and run Cant. 1. and John is drawn and runneth but the same lively influences act not upon the one and other it is
his actings from a gift to be actings from grace but 1. An habitual delusion such as was in the five foolish virgins all their life and until the market of buying oyle was spent and over cannot fall into a regenerate man for the Lord reveals his state to him 2. A child of God may all his life not put a distinct difference between the gift of preaching in Judas and the grace of preaching for there is no certainty of faith of the saving grace of others as touching particular men 3. There is in the Saints a spiritual sense of discerning Christs voice and here two things are to be distinguished 1. The actings of sense 2. The objects of sense and spiritual discerning the acts of sense in order to others are not infallible either in the habit or the act the eleven may all their life mistake Judas But as touching the object the saving influences and actings of God have them in some singular and peculiar thing by which actu primo and in themselves they may be discerned As Christs preaching had such grace in it never man spake like him Pauls preaching in the evidence and demonstration and power of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. had something that a spiritual discerning might take up the garden flower and the wild flower that grows in the mountains are like other yet the senses of seeing and smelling find a difference It 's dreadful when Christs preaching and the Apostles speaking and praying in the holy Ghost brings forth mocking and persecution and the miracles of Christ that were done by the power of God are fathered upon the Prince of devils it 's hard to perswade men of the naughtiness of their own heart What comes from self comes from grace the heart because it is the mans own is good to God the prayers are the mans own and good the lamps they are our own and they shine and therefore the shining is from the oyl of grace within and yet the lamp is empty 2. As to others hardly see we what condition they are in and because the smell of dead bones comes not through marble-stones in the Tomb therefore the paintry of a profession satisfies us yet it was not want of charity that made Micah 7. 2. say The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among men they lie in wait for blood As now it 's called morosity rash judgment to say that the generality of Ministers and too many time-covenanters know little of any work of the Spirit on their hearts 10 Divis There are influences proper to the way to the Country and influences proper to the end and to the Country or influences of grace and influences of glory Influences for the way though they come from Christ our life yet for the most part they come by some meanes the word the seals prayer faith in the promises what influences they have who never heard the Gospel but have the law of nature within and book of creation and of providence without by which they may read and spell a Godhead and duties they owe to God Creator is harder to determine But they shall be witnesses to judge us and shall justifie Sodom Matth. 10. 15. But did we read more meditate more the covenant of grace we should have more of the influences of grace the influences of glory are the immediate and eternal out-lettings of God without word or faith or praying The tree of life hath growing on it apples of life all the moments of the year that is a long summer and a long year the tree is ever green ever blossoming eternally bearing fruit and the inhabitants eternally feasting on the fruit The river of life runnes for ever and ever flowes eternally and never ebbs they eternally drink in life and joy from him which sits upon the Throne and the Lamb. So many millions of glorified ones as there are so many eternal and immediate dependencies and living beames of glory united to the Son of righteousness because Christ is our life Col. 3. 4. therefore must heaven be a life of immediate influences of grace in the first glorious conserving power of God in preserving bodies of clay in a being of 1. Incorruption and immortality beyond sickness cold pain old age and death 2. In a state of glory free of shame 3. In a state of bodily strength power and activity free of weakness 4. In a state of spirituality free of a necessity of earthly helps eating drinking sleeping 1 Cor. 15. 42 43 44. 2. It must be an immediate out-letting of God in the fourth life of eternal blessedness and glory above the life of nature 2. The life intellectual of reason 3. The life of grace in the vision of the face of God 1 John 3. 2. Rev. 22. 4. Job 19. 26. knowing him 4. In the influences of fulness of joy and delights or pleasures and that so long as Christ-God shall live for evermore Now these three 1. Fruition of God as the last end and satisfaction in him onely seeking no other lover but God in Christ 2. Loving and adhering to God there being no room for faith and hope 1 Cor. 13. 13. whence comes filling of the concupiscible part desire delight 3. Praising him eternally and the Lamb. These three I say have both the consideration of duties and of a reward in both considerations the Lord lets out his immediate influences on that blessed company in all these 1. We are sick of love after our prison here rather then for our choisest life 2. We seek not the earnest and first fruits of this life CHAP. II. The nature of the habit of grace that there is 2. Such a habit is clear in the word 3. It 's purchased by Christs merit 4. Hath supernatural actings flowing from it 5. Influences without this habit are but delusions 6. Differences betwixt the habit of grace and other habits 7. Resolutions must be followed with prayer 2. Godly trembling 3. Faith 8. The stronger the habit of grace is the stronger and and more connatural are the acts flowing from it THe third particular is how the Saints may fetch the holy breathings of the Spirit by supernatural habits And touching this we shall speak to these 1. What the habit of grace is 2. How it is the seed of influences of grace 1. What necessity there is of the connexion betwixt the habit of grace and how we may fetch breathings of the Spirit from the habit of grace As to the first The habit of grace is a fixed disposition infused in the soul by the Lord purchased by Christs merit of his death by which we perform supernatural duties 1. A habit is a heavenly disposition or quality gracious by which the man even sleeping is denominated a convert a believer a translated man from darkness to light Col. 1. 13. Acts 2. 44. Acts 4. 4. 1 John 3. 14. 2. It is a fixed quality different from a spiritual disposition as
Psal 57. 7. My heart is fixed or disposed O God or prepared but his heart was not ever and alwayes fixed and prepared to praise though he had ever the habit and seed of God in him after his conversion 3. It is a fixed disposition infused in the soul by the Lord as a permanent quality so Isa 44. 3. I will pour water on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground What is that flood I will pour my spirit upon thy seed Zech. 12. 10. And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication Ezek. 11. 19. And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh And also that this is an inbiding and permanent quality infused of God and an habit not acquired by our industry by which the Saints are and really are named anointed renewed born again new creatures is clear 2 Cor. 3. 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart So this habit is called the seed of God 1 John 3. 9. The anointing saith John 1. 2 and 20. which ye have received of him and abides in you 27. Yea the Father and the Son making their abode in the soul John 14. 13. The well of water springing up to life eternal in the believer John 4. 14. Rivers of living waters flowing out of the belly By which the Saints are said to be denominated quickened Ephes 2. 1 4 and 5. and to be light in the Lord whereas they were once darkness Ephes 5. 8. new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. born of God 1 John 5. 1. 1 Iohn 3. 2. Now this is infused and no more an acquired habit then regeneration conversion translation is acquired 4. This new fixed disposition is given through the merit of Christ Acts 5. 30. Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree v. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Then is Christ the giver of repentance and of all spiritual habits not simply but as crucified and made a meriting Prince 2. The Father hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ then also with the habit of sanctification 3. We are sanctified by the the willing offering that Christ made when he gave himself a sacrifice once for all Heb. 10. 8 9 10. and the people sanctified by his blood Heb. 13. 12. Then in the merit of this blood must we have the habit of sanctification 4. If the conscience be purged by the blood of sprinkling from dead works Heb. 9. 14. then is the heart of stone removed which is nothing but this deadness in us before our conversion and new birth and if this be done so that we are sprinkled with clean water cleansed from all our filthinesse and idols and the heart of stone taken out of us and a new heart of flesh even a new heart given us not for our own doings but for his own names sake Ezek. 36. 22 25 26 32. that is from the precious and onely saving grace of Jesus Christ as it is exponed in the New Testament Acts 3. 16 25 26. Acts 4. 12. Rom. 3. 24 25. Ephes 1. 17. Coloss 1. 13. Acts 10. 42 43. So for Davids sake is exponed in the New Testament for the Son of Davids sake and for the Lords names sake is all one with this for the merits and death of Christ 5. Christs blood is a ransome not to buy us from wrath only and from the evil of punishment but also from the evil of iniquity and sin and so from the bondage of our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. from all iniquity Tit. 2. 19. from living to sin 1 Pet. 2. 24. and so to purchase the grace of the new birth and to make us Kings and Priests to God Rev. 1. 5 6. 6. The Spirit poured on the thirsty ground Isa 44. 3. on the house of David Zech. 12. 10. is either a gift of nature or a grace The former can be said by none but Pelagians and Socinians for if the only principle of the life of God and the new birth be a work of our industry Christ died in vain if it be a free grace we must receive it out of Christs fulness For out of his fulness we all receive John 1. 16. 5. By this supernatural habit we perform supernatural duties and new acts of life for Isa 44. By the Spirit given they shall spring up as among the grass as verse 4. willows by the water course They shall graciously professe and swear a covenant to the Lord v. 5. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himselfe by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and sirname himself by the name of Israel And when the Spirit is poured on the house of Jacob the second acts flowing therefrom are acts of believing and looking on Christ whom they pierced and mourning over Christ and being in bitterness as if his first-born were dead So Ezek. 36. the putting in the new heart hath walking v. 27. in the Lords statutes keeping his judgments The first young motions and life-stirrings of the circumcised heart are the loving of the Lord Deut. 30. 6. the returning and obeying the voice of the Lord v. 8. Then 1. saving influences in spiritual actings in praying praising hearing are meer delusions without this new habit not the motions and actings of a living man from influence of life But some cozeners by the art of Satan have made dead images to speak but that speaking or laughing or weeping was but counterfeit and from no kindly influence of life in the dead stone The heavy elements move downward and that from an inward principle of nature but the motion of the wheeles in a horse-mill is not from nature within but from the beasts that draw the wheels nor is the motion of the several pieces of the horologe from a principle of life but from art And the actings of men destitute of such a supernatural habit suppose they give all their goods to the poor and give their bodies to be burnt yet are there no influences of the life of Christ in these actions they come from composed art and industry of hypocrisie custome formality and vain-glory and such
leave their name in the earth for a curse Be not satisfied while the wind breaths out of the right air even from a life of Christ and from the head Christ Christ lives in me Gal. 2. and the actual influences of grace from above are suitable having Christ living in you Christ shall furnish wind and sweet breathings of the Spirit to his own life it 's a cursed case of conscience when the man hath peace and so much quietness as to be satisfied with and to thank God for his formal fasting and paying of his debts to all Luke 18. 11. and such counterfeit influences please him all his life 2. How doe they undervalue Christ and his blood who father all influences of praying and seeking of God upon their own industry and nature in this the mouth may kisse the hand we kisse not the Son It speaks grace when every sincere sigh and every good word and thought is referred to the price and ransome of blood when the soule is at this O I would kiss Jesus Christ for this loosing and melting of heart and I am the endeared debtor of Jesus Christ for this lively breathing upon the heart This keeps from murmuring and fretting at other times when the man weeps over his deadness ah it 's saith the complainer long since I saw him 2. The differences betwixt the habit of grace and other habits of arts and sciences would be considered 1. In the rise industry and free-wills trading may purchase the habits of sciences and arts this is infused from heaven I will pour water on the thirsty ground saith the Lord for mine own sake do I this Isa 44. Ezek. 36. 32. This habit is indeed Christs trading and the fruit of the travel of his soul and stands Christ at a high price 2. Other habits may be forgotten and lost this is a part of the believers stock of Christs buying and so in Christs keeping Christ keeps his own purchase from wasting in shipwrack It 's the immortal seed the well that springs up to life eternal John 4. 14. the remaining anointing 1 John 2. 20. the imbiding seed of God 1 John 3. 9. 3. The lesse excellent the habit is the more it is under the dominion of free-wil the Musician may sing when he will he needs no influences of grace to stir up his habit the natural man from himself may blow upon the natural habits of arts and sciences and the remanents of the image of God and he may do much from common honesty but the more excellent and spiritual the infused habit is the further it is from being under the dominion of free-will only the North and South-wind of the Spirit can act upon this habit supernatural nor can we pray simply at the nod and stirring of free-will only the Spirit of Jesus is steeres-man here and this is to be holden that the Spirit so withdrawes as we are guilty consenters to his withdrawing and in the sinful omission of calling upon the Lord and when the Spirit acts upon the free-will and the habit of grace we are willing consenters to that blessed breathing and willing joyners in the work of praying and some commendation and praise the holy Ghost gives to his Saints in all holy actings Num. 14. 24. Gen. 22. 16. Gen. 32. 28. Num. 12. 7. Rev. 2. 3 13 19. Rev. 2. 4 8 9 10. So we are 1. not to engage in the strength of free-will and let us know thus much that when resolutions of relying upon the grace of Christ are taking and we say this we shall do by the grace of Christ we but use the name of grace but there is within 1. A fixedness of relying on nature and we follow not our resolution with prayer as David Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and will perform that I will keep thy righteous judgments He seconds his vow with prayer v. 108. Accept I beseech thee the free-will offering of my mouth O Lord and teach me thy judgments In praying for any mercy as for grace to keep the way of God which we have vowed to keep we are to interpose Christ as Surety for the performing of the vow 2. There is not godly fear and trembling in distrusting our selves David after the Lord makes a covenant with him and David by the Lords grace had accepted and engaged to stand to it he casts himself down to the dust 2 Sam. 7. 18. Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto If we did but consider how cozening and unstable as water our hearts are we should fear our own bentness to backsliding when we so vow It speaks honest ingenuity after a man hath borrowed money and given word and writ to pay it when he is anxious how to answer the day and be acquit of the debt 3. Faith should rely upon the promise of God for influences of grace and look away from nature and cease from the breathings of free-will especially since they are involved in the promises of perseverance and in the promises of the covenant Isa 54. 10. Isa 59. 21. Jer. 31. 35. Ezek. 36. 27. For among men he who engageth for a good harvest doth also engage to labour to harrow and sow He that covenants to bring home to a Prince a ships loading of gold from India he must also engage to prepare a ship and sea-men and provision for them and to set out to the Sea for sailing and to take the opportunity of the winds Now since the Lord hath promised to bring many children to glory this puts on Christ a sort of engagement especially if we add to this the trust that the Father hath put on him John 17. 2. chap. 6. 37. to work in them to will and to doe and when they fall to raise them again and as faith relies upon the promise of glory so is faith to rely upon Christ for grace and influences and new breathings of the Spirit without which perseverance promised even undeclinable attaining to glory is impossible 3. The stronger and the more intense the habit is the more connatural and kindly and the more signal bended and strong are the acts that flow from the habit 1. Rain and sweet showres poured upon the dry ground make the growing the more easie and connatural and when a strong habit of the love of Christ stronger then death and the grave which many waters cannot quench was fixed and rooted in the heart of the Martyrs the acts of suffering even the torments of the rack of burning quick of the teeth of wild beasts of exquisite and long-enduring tortures were exceeding both easie and rejoycing and refreshing to themselves and others and they had answerable strong acts of influences and a mighty presence of God as the three children have the fourth man the Son of man walking in the fiery oven with them Daniel hath the increated Angel to stop the mouths of the lyons and there must have
it 's clear of the habit of grace John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall send you the Comforter Christ sends him the Father sends him in Christs name John 14. 26. he shall receive of mine and shew it to you Now the holy Spirit the Comforter dwells in the Children of God not personally though he be said to dwell in them and to speak in them 1. In the habit and divine power given to them to confess Christ before men Matth. 10. 19. Acts 4. 8. or in preaching working of miracles Acts 6. 8. or in praying Acts 6. 10 11. Acts 7. 55 56. 2. In actuating that power in giving grace actually to will and to do to confess prophesie Luke 1. 27 41 42. Luke 2. 27 28. to pray Acts 7. 55 56. as the Lord is said to thunder in the clouds to give rain not that he is personally united with the clouds but because he creats in the clouds the power of thunder and raining and doth actually determine the clouds to rain 5. Supernatural habits and supernatural dispositions are neer to other as the fire and the flaming of the fire the clouds and the rain the sea and the ebbing and flowing of the sea not that the disposition is the very operation and second act of the habit but because the diposition is a quality superadded to the habit or the neerer principle and power of spiritual acting Stephen and Peter and John were full of the holy Ghost habitu from the time that the holy Ghost was given them but when they are conveyed to answer before the rulers they are said to speak being full of the holy Ghost Acts 4. 8. Acts 7. 55 56. which is either an enlargement of the habit of grace or a new spring-tide of the same sea or a new infused disposition promised by our Saviour and given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 12. 11 12. Matth. 10. 19. Mark 13. 11. in that same hour And 3. There is much nearness of heavenly habits dispositions and heavenly influences and they are like other as life and breathing fire and the flaming of the fire get heavenly dispositions and influences of grace to pray to praise to believe almost connaturally follow When the tide of the Spirit flows Steven and the Apostles must preaâ—â— and boldly confess their precious Master Christ Jesus and this is great condescension of love that the spirit and the sinful believer are fellow-workers for the Spirit to act in the man Christ or in the elect Angels is not so much a wonder for they never â—inned influences upon us who have but a sort of obediential power as we are sinners such as is the power of swimming in iron is lowliness of love What is it for the Spirit of grace and glory to beat upon such broken and mistuned harps and to bring forth such excellent actings as praying praising confessing believing rejoycing in God in such unhandy tools What holy trembling is required in us that we offend not such an honourable and glorious help and that we neglect not to joyn his own habit to his own influences when he renders the work sweet and easie O let us lend our heart and give organs and a work-house to the Spirit who comes down to sigh in sinners He mourns like a dove and weeps like a father who hath lost his first-born in heirs of glory Q. But is not the habit of grace and spiritual dispositions all one and the same Answ They are not one For 1. The habit is the seed of God that remaines alwayes in us 1 John 3. 9. and the anointing that dwels in us 1 John 2. 20 27. but a disposition comes and goes ebbs and flowes A child of God will be under deadness and witheredness the soul cleaving to the dust dropping away for heaviness like a bottle in the smokâ— when the man with the habit of grace will pray like one sweating and rowing with oars against the tide and stream Why doth David pray so often to be quickened if he was ever in a lively disposition 2. Doth not experience teach that there be times when David saith 2 Sam. 7. 27. Thy servant hath found his heart to pray this prayer Was not this so much as to say the heart and disposition to pray is lost sometimes and is away Psal 57. 7. My heart is fixed O Ood my heart is fixed or prepared 3. To say that spiritual dispositions are as permanent and constant as habits is to deny the going and coming of the Spirit in Christs love-visits Now certain it is the Spouse is not ever sick of love for Christ as Cant. 2. nor is there such a flaming of love dispositions as when the Spouse saith Cant. 1. 5. A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved to me he shall lodge all the night between my breasts When a sleepy drowsiness is on that she suffers the welbeloved to knock and stand and knock while his head is full of dew and his locks wet with the rain of the night and refuses to open yea positively gives a reason that she cannot lodge him in the house nor between her breasts I have put off my coat how shall I put it on Such a spiritual love-sicknesse is far off 4. When a contrary disposition to adultery is on and Davids hand at the pen writing a letter to contrive the killing of innocent Vriah and the unbelieving fear of losse of life is upon Peter so that he denieth his Lord there could not be an heavenly disposition to make spiritual songs to pray to praise to confess Christ before men on either the one or the other 5. If those heavenly disposition were ever in it it should speak much against the liberty of the blessed Spirit whose breathings and out-lettings are soveraignly free Now by this the work of grace should be like the work of nature we see the fountain alwayes casts out her streames the Sun ever gives light the work grace hath a day and a dark night and Sun-light and Moon-light that we are in a state of outlawry when he withdraws to be humbled to the dust for abused love-visits and may know what is Christs and what is ours the fire is ever alike disposed to cast heat a mill-stone if not hindered is alike disposed to fall to the earth or down the mounrain Q. Are not spiritual dispositions nothing else but the hearts affections Answ Dispositions heavenly are different from the affections much more then they are different from the habit of grace 1. The spiritual dispositions goe and come the heart and affections of love joy sorrow remain 2. The heart is one thing and the heavenly preparedness of the heart is another thing As the subject iron differs from the fierceness and heat in iron and the water differs from the cold and heat that goes and comes from and to the water so dispositions are spiritual qualities and the affections the subject the heart is
sometimes cold and sometimes hot lively or dead as the Lord is pleased to visit Q. May we not then say that dispositions are the affections heavenly disposed Answ Not so neither the affections are not the compleat and adequate subject of heavenly dispositions because there is often a heavenly disposition in the mind to know spiritual truths so Elihu Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me An heavenly propension in the mind to be taught of God Psal 119. 18 26. There is a heavenly disposition of the spiritual mind to believe the Scriptures and in place of that there is a slowness to believe divine truths rebuked by our Saviour Luke 24. 25. 3. There is a spiritual disposition in the conscience of the Centurion Luke 23. 47. in Thomas John 20. 27. in Peter 5. 8. The contrary whereof was in the Pharisees and Rulers wrestling against the manifest light of God Matth. 12. 22 23 24. Matth. 21. 33 34. 45 46. Matth. 28. 11 12 13. John 9. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. 34 35. John 42. 47 48. Acts 4. 13 14 15. Acts 13. 44 45. As also there is a heavenly disposition in the memory to retain the word Psal 119. 11. forbidden Heb. 2. 1. And gracious dispositions goe through the whole soul in order to all gracious actings in mind conscience will memory affections of love faith hope desire fear anger and order to all the spiritual duties that can be performed by men as sinful dispositions may be in all the powers of the soul if so the heart being so ticklesome a piece so ill to be guided it is of great concernment to see with what dispositions the heart is seasoned and who they be that lodge here as heat and cold come in the water by turnes as the summer is hot and the winter cold so the soule even of the child of God hath ebbings and flowings of dead and lively dispositions as the frequent triumphing and rejoycing and the ordinary and much repeated complaints of the Saints doe abundantly evidence Psal 22. Psal 31. Psal 77. Psal 89. Lam. 3. Jer. 20. There is a sinful disposition 2. The children of God may act spiritually under sinful dispositions 3. What acts they then put forth 4. The obedience performed under greatest indispositions upon the sole motive of the word is the most spiritual obedience 5. Sometimes the lesse sense the more spiritual is the obedience That there be sinful and gracious dispositions in men can hardly be denied 1. In all men by nature there is the habit of natural and original sin Hence an indisposition and a reluctancy to believe in Christ to love desire fear God 2. There is an acquired wicked disposition in Doeg he loves to lye a disposition satanical and and hellish in Saul when the evil spirit troubles him he is disposed to kill David But the special ill disposition here is the dead untowardness of the children of God to pray or praise or confess Christ c. Hence these considerations of this indisposition 1. That it may befal the children of God 2. That they may act under this indisposition 3. What acts they may and ought to performe under it As to the first it needs not much probation 1. A doubting disposition comes on the disciples Matth. 8. when the ship is a drowning and they in hazard of sinking Christ reproves not the act not so much as the root and disposition v. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why are ye fearful He sayes not why fear ye and he rebukes both in Peter Matth. 14. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for what end shouldst thou doubt and both are clearly reproved when they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affrighted 37 38. why are ye troubled jumbled or put out of order or why doe dialogues or bounded or racketted thoughts ascend in your hearts 2. Job David and Jeremiah sadly complaining and challenging God as an enemy as fiery and a God burning with hoâ— displeasure and as lying waters and that sayes that hardly could they but be under a disposition and fretting impatience 3. Elâ—sha is so jumbled that the soul is made like muddy water with indignation at Jehoram that he is in no spiritual disposition or capacity to see the visions of God 2 Kings 13. 14 15. and Jonah is distempered at tender mercy in the Lord towards great Ninive and old and young in it a straw the withering of a gourd the renewed soul may be hammered and knocked to pieces like a broken crystal glass while the Lord be pleased to soldar the broken pieces of the soul together again As to the second under such dispositions there may be some stirring of the habit of grace and of the new creation the soul either under swooning or sleeping is still acting as the soul one way or other it 's not to be supposed that the life of God in a believer can more intermit all sort of lively and vital actings then the soul can live of breathing or to communicate vital heat to the body the unbroken and intense habit of sin in the unrenewed is the mother-indisposition that hinders influences of grace as cast sparkles of fire on cold iron it makes no flaming because of the density and coldness of the object the Lord does not bestow every the same Sun-influences on the thistle or nettle and on the vintry nor is it supposed that God more bestowes actual influence of saving grace upon a man dead in sinne until there be a new heart and the life of God first infused in him then the Lord bestowes moral or rational influences on a horse or a mule that hath no understanding Now cast sparkles of fire upon flax or tow though the sparkles be small and there is presently flaming if the Lord but blow upon the smallest measure of the spiritual life of God though under many ashes and a huge deal of indisposition and there is some work flaming which will beger more fire There is much deadnesse and dulnesse of life in the affections to act in duties when there is life and some quickness of spiritual light the life and warmness retiring in to the heart the fountain of life when there is palenesse and coldnesse in the external members and as fire within creates fire in the nearest dry fewel there is an act of renewed light consenting Rom. 7. to the good to be done and yet deadnesse in the affections to perform and lively light in the half sleeping Spouse discerning the knock voice and words of the beloved and assenting that it were just to open to Christ and give him lodging in his own house and yet a prevailing drowsâ—esse in the affections refusing to let him in As to the Third under indispositions there may be divers lively actings As 1. Terrors and distractions and all the waves of Gods displeasure Heman Psal 88. 1. O Lord God of my salvation I cry day and night before thee v.
9. Lord I have called daily unto thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee Psal 102. the afflicted soul saith v. 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass And here though buried and dead bones scaâ—tered at the grave mouth as when one heweth timber speak and pray to God Psal 141. and the Church so overwhelmed so that they cannot speak Psal 77. 4. yet they speak prayers 2. There is holy complaining layed in the bosome of an apprehended angry God and though arrows of God stick in the flesh Psal 38. 1 2 3 4. Psal 119. 25. My soul cleaveth to the dust 28. My soul droppeth away for heaviness 83. I am become like a bottle in the smoke Psal 42. 1 2. Psal 6. 1 2 3 prayes and complaines in a holy way to God Like a crane or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a dove mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me 3. It 's half a closing with a sinful disposition when it paines us lesse Paul protests against the fleshes sinful disposition Rom. 7. 15. I allow not the evil which I doe 2. He disowns it v. 17. It 's no more I that doe it but sin in me 3. He condemes himself for it v. 18. I know in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good 4. He complaines of it 23. I am led captive to the law of sin 5. His complaining so grows that he ends in an out-cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and triumphs victoriously in Christ v. 25. From which it is clear that Paul and the flesh part open enemies and that there is no treaty of peace betwixt the spirit and the sinful disposition flowing from the flesh as if the flesh and the spirit were two free co-equal independent Lords and Princes and each must have his own kingdome and princedome to himself and the one must not encroach upon the other for the flesh and its complices must down and the spirit must be up in Christ Nor is there any arbitrary agreement of the matter for the spirit yields no liberty to sin nor gives away one jot or tittle of the holy Law to say Herod by the new covenant may keep his lust and Herodias so he gladly hear John the Baptist 4. There ought to be a going about of all duties of praying believing hearing praising c. under the lowest ebbings of the spirit and the saddest deadness so deadness and indispositions be the sin and sinful affliction and the afflictive sin of the child of God for our obedience to God is the more spiritual that it hath no moral motive from sense and comfort but rather the contrary save onely the word of command So excellently Christ Heb. 10. 9. Loe I come to doe thy will to suffer wrath and the curse for man but Psal 40. 8. I delight to doe thy will thy Law is within my heart His delight was in that saddest commandement to speak so in laying dow his life for his sheep and so had no sense to bear him up for an agony and sadnesse and sorrow to death was upon the holy Saviour when he obeyed and that peculiar law was in the inner part of his heart It 's true his Father loved him for it John 10. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again But 1. It 's a question if in the act of suffering he felt that love when he complained that he was forsaken of God 2. Therefore the Father loved Christ and Christ did abide in his love because he kept his Fathers commandements John 15. 11. because they were the Fathers commandements 2. It 's a temptation to act under deadness which actually blunts the heart therefore to obey under a formal temptation is more spiritual obedience As for Christ to pray to believe to exhort his disciples to watch and when pain wrath the actual pressing curse puts him to tears and hideous cries Heb. 5. is a perfect copy to all obedience lesse thanks to you to pray when the heart is oyled with real influences and feasted with some holy and the bridegrooms hony-comb and the feelings of the out-lettings of freest love as what praise to a wheel to roll down the mount or for the fire to cast heat or the Sun to yield light Feelings of the strong impulsions and breathings of Christs love carry along such a strong necessity of obeying Christs love being a stronger and a more imperious commander then a fiery Law almost steals away the elective power but to pray under the frame and current of a dead disposition working and re-acting on the contrary from a principle that is strongly real but from pure moral influences from the pure spiritual commands 1 Thess 5. 17. Pray without ceasing and Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble is the most spiritual and perfect obedience That wine hath the most kindly taste and colour of wine and is preserved most connaturally that hath it's being on the mother grape it 's not so when there is something of art I know not what to preserve it by steel or something like that Hence appears the decitfulnesse of our hearts when the delight in the duty comes rather from a meer physical cause less moral to wit from the heavenly flamings of quickening influences not from the command the only kindly mother and moral motive of obedience The withdrawing of the rayes and beams of the personally near Godhead now as it were under a cloud which was wont to give the savourness of strong delight made our Redeemers obedience as is said the more excellent 2. It speaks much of savoury graciousnesse when the temptation is cos gratiae a whetstone to grace and to the spirit of adoption and as sailes and oares to praying and does not blunt us in duties 3. The greater combate with nature the more perfect is the obedience Abraham's natural disposition was strong to love Isaac his onely sonne to let the child take his good night at his aged mother but the command of Jehovah his God in covenant so prevailed as he would shift the temptation and hid the matter from the mother Sarah and strongly second the design of Gods trying with resolved pure spiritual obedience from only the command of God CHAP. VI. The place Luke 24. 32. Did not our heart burn c. is opened 2. Believers can tell the history of the actings of the Spirit 3. Feelings may be strongest after the actings of the Spirit 4. The differences between literal heat and spiritual heat in many particulars 5. And betwixt the Spirits actings with the Word and Enthusiastical raptures There be other holy dispositions most considerable specially these 1. Burning of heart 2. Enlargedness of heart 3. Fixedness of heart 4. Love-sickness after Christ Besides these there be special dispositions to pray
to praise to submit to God to adore to walk humbly to walk circumspectly and tenderly and such like but most of them may be reduced to these NOw to speak of the burning of the heart the place Luke 24. 32. is clear The two disciples having parted with Christ now risen from the dead and not knowing him to be Christ 32. they say one to another Did not our hearts burn within us when he spake to us in the way and opened to us the Scriptures In which words the nature of heavenly heart-burning in the causes and properties thereof is laid open and the differences between the heat natural from natural influences from the lively heat spiritual In the words these particulars are to be observed 1. When the heat is gone and past 1. they perceive it they said one to another when he is gone our heart did burn in the past or preterite time 2. They accuse their own stupidity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did not our heart burn were we sleeping when he burnt us 3. The Author speaking Christ while he spake to us in the way 4. The fewel that made the fire and the burning coals the Scripture opened by Christ 5. The object of the burning or the subject recipient our heart was burning as an oven or a furnace They said one to another The coal of fire which Christ cast into the heart and is now smoaking among the fire-wood and on the heart leaves two things behind it 1. Telling of their experiences one to another 2. The feeling and perceiving of the heavenly heart-burning better when it 's gone then when it was on Then the heart-working of Christ will leave histories behind it as what is much of Solomons Song but a Narration of the daughters and virgins one to another of Christs actings upon the soul or a chronicle of Christs love and the Spouses sin as 1. Of Christs dispensation in withdrawing Cant. 3. I sought him but I found him not Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved and my beloved had withdrawn himself 2. She tells his saving actings upon the soule be like to the virgins Cant. 1. 4. The King hath brought me unto his chambers Cant. 2. 4. He brought me into his banquetting-house and love was his banner over me 3. She tells over songs of Christs loveliness and excellency Cant. 5. 10 11 12. of the savouriness of his name of the memory of his love Cant. 1. 3 4. of the seat and room that Christ hath in her heart and betwixt her breasts Cant. 1. 13. all the night 4. She tells of her carnal drowsiness of her sinful refusing to open and let in Christ to the heart So does Jeremiah tell a sad experience of his own he had quit the prophecying trade and would speak no more in the name of the Lord and he was burnt with a fire in his breast he could not get the word housed in his heart but it did come abroad This shall be the first difference betwixt spiritual heart-burnings and the influences that the Spirit leaves and the natural heat The literal burning leaves no work upon the heart nor any impression of heavenly experiences Jehu his heat against Achab and Baal left no impression of God on him to hate the golden calves or the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin He did cleave to that way 2 Kings 10. 28 30. Let fiery professors shew any influence of a gratious work in the heart the flaming of thorns under a pot and the flashes of heat from burning straw leave no fire but ashes and much cold behind them in the cold winter frost and the generality of dead professors can say nothing to one another but I have long heard the Gospel and yet am without God and without Christ 2. I am convinced of the excellence of Christ and there yet is no fire or coal of heart-love to Christ in me and it were good such a missing there were 2. Did not our hearts burn This is convinced to be a disposition spiritual rather then a habit it s a burning of heart while Christ speakes that had a cooling before though they were believing Disciples But here observe they feel not so the burning of heart in the mean time as afterward when v. 31. Christ was vanished out of their sight and gone now they take special notice in a feeling way of the warmness of heart they felt while he opened the Scriptures to them The Lord preaches in a ladder reaching from earth to heaven Jacob sleeps and can give no judgement in the mean time but Gen. 28. 16. when the sweet vision and preaching is eâ—ded Jacob awaked out of his sleep and he said Surely the Lord was in this place and I knew not A strong impression of the presence and glory of God sometimes comes on after the Lord is away David desires and thirsts Psalm 63. 2. saith he in the wilderness of Judah that I may see thy power and thy glory as I have seen thee The enjoying of Zion and Zions songs while the people is at home in their own land hath not such influence on their spirit as when the Sancturies glory is removed then Psalm 137. 1. By the rivers of Babel there we sate down yea we wept when we remembred Zion While one is in a fever they may be ignorant that they are in a fever but when the cooling of health comes then he well remembers he was sick of a fever When there is a fever of glory on Peter he speaks he knows not what Mark 9. 6. yet after 2 Pet. 1. 16 17. he makes sweet comfortable use of that glory of Christ on the mount when the Lord waters the sown seed and sends down new influences of grace then doth it appear what warming hath been in the soul this is a second difference betwixt literal heat and spiritual burning of heart literal heat hath most sense when it is a dowing there are no spiritual reflexions upon that burning when it is gone and over except the Lord give repentance and that is accidental to all sinful fairds and flaming of the flesh or of a moral gift it dies with its flaming as fired powder that endures not long whereas its useful to call to mind the gracious burnings of heart yea or any of the Lords ancient paths according to that Psalm 119. 52. I remembred thy judgement of old and have comforted my self and its good to receive and lay up influences of heart warmings of Christ Isa 42. 23. Who among you will â—ear this who will hearken and hear for the time to come Did not our hearts burn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The godly reprove their not knowing and not discerning of Christ in his heart flamings of love godly and spiritual sense â—â—lengeth self-dulness Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beâ—â—ved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone This is a sense of Christs withdrawing
with a challenge of her refusing to open Ah! why did I not opâ—n while he did â—ovingly 〈…〉 knock and lovingly speak Open 〈…〉 my â—â—ster my love c. sense of Christ with chalâ—â—â—â—â—d good 〈◊〉 with tears for 〈◊〉 in the woman thâ—◠〈…〉 his feet with tears sense with faith going along 〈…〉 is commendable it s a spiritual case 〈…〉 up our recâ—nnings what we have profited spiritually by the heart-â—â—â—ingâ— wrought by Christ and this is a third diffrence The moral and 〈◊〉 man 〈◊〉 so â—â—prove his hear as to call himself to a reckoning nor 〈…〉 say wheâ— neere am I to God for my stirring 〈◊〉 reforming religion its kindly life-heat that makes the man more lively and vigorous While he spake The third particular who works burning of heart in these men speaking Jesus Christ when Christ takes the bellows and the fan and stirs up the fire it must needâ— burn boldly and when Christ casts in a coal in the soul it must make heart-flamings John 4. I am he that speaks to thee that made a fire in the womans heart then she leaves well and water-pot and runs to the City So Matth. 9. 9. Matth. 4. 20 21 22. with a word he kindles a fire in the brests of fisher-men who knew nothing of him before and hath an inward work upon the heart Cant. 5. He put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him that was fire in the bowels and what did Christ here but speak words and this is the fourth difference with little pain but a word speaking he makes a fire There is a huge deal of violence in Esaus running sweating hunting Jacob stirred not after works but staid at home and believed and faith made him blessed the spirit drives not but by the words leading and perswading But is there no violence in the natural and literal heat Yea for Bâ—als priests to cut and bleed themselves with knives and cry till noon and to shout to a deaf God must have in it much violence and it s a very unnatural fire and its a most unnatural wild-fire heat to slay their young children to Molech A man who forces a sigh when a sigh forces not him is a sufferer but what violence is in the constraining Gospel-promise what compulsion is there in love or love-sickness when Christ makes love a key that opens all doors how strongly and how sweetly doth the word of promise carried on by the spirit of Christ force thy soul there is a huge deal of force and violence in fairâ—heed sickness as when a man makes and counterfeits distraction and madness and runs naked While he opened the Scriptures The fourth particular is the fewel that makes the fire the Scriptures opened and opened by Christs key Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord Jer. 23. 15. Yea in Christs baptizing there is fire John baptizeth with water and no more as a cold and watry seal but Christ Matth. â— 11. batizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire The word of prophesie was in Jeremiahs bowels as a fire shut up and this is the fift difference betwixt the literal and spiritual heat the heavenly heart-burning goes along with the Scriptures 2. With the Scriptures so opened and applied by the spirit of Jesus as by a strong power burning coals are cast into the heart As touching the former the difference betwixt this and the Libertines spirit or the Enthusiasts are to be observed and the spirit of the children of God 1. Christs spirit extols the Scriptures It is written saith Christ against Satan Have ye not read in the Scriptures saith Christ against the Sadduces Matth. 22. Search the Scriptures saith Christ they bear witness of me He taught the multitude and disciples as it s written in the Scriptures He rebukes them Luke 24. v. 25. as fools and slow of heart for not believing the Scriptures When he would carry in real influences of grace to the heart he carries them along by the Scripture and opens the understanding that they may understand the Scripture Luke 24. 45. that is the spirit of Satan in some who boast that they are beyond and above the word of the Kingdom and such must be beyond and on the other side of heaven 2. They who wait for the Lord and whose soul waits for God they hope in his word Psalm 130. 5 6. Libertines souls cannot wait for the Lord as the watch for the morning 3. It s a work of the spirit strongly to convince the conscience of not believing in Christ John 16. 7 8. now to believe in him is the sum of the Scriptures of the Gospel Enthusiasts extol perswasions by raptures according to which the brother killeth the brother as Bullinger relates in place of the Scripture-convictions of the spirit 4. The work of the spirit is to comfort for its the spirits office and the sound comfort is patience and comfort of the Scriptures bringing hope Rom. 15. 4. The spirit of Enthusiasts perswades men of peace and comfort without and beside the promises of the Gospel 5. The words of the book of the Law melt the heart of godly Josiah 2 Kings 19. 22. and the Lord looks to him that trembles at his word to dwell with him Isa 66. 2. The Enthusiasts boldly mock the word as an instrument of carnal and fleshly regeneration and seek a new birth from a spirit alone separated from the word 6. Deep humiliation is wrought by the word 2 Kings 22. 14. the pride of Satan reigns in the spirits of Enthusiasts who despise Scripture humility and reproach tears and the work of repentance as a work of the Law and the flesh 7. Strong and couragious fighting even to overcoming gets for a reward the hid manna the white stone and the new name written thereon which no man can read but he that receives it now fighting and overcoming is by the word of the spirit Rev. 2. 17. Eph. 6. 17. and faith in the word 1 John 5. 4. Enthusiasts tell us of a dumb and Scriptureless perswasion by which men are perswaded they are chosen to salvation and can know others by the face that are so chosen 8. The true spirit leads unto all truth John 16. 13 and opens the true sense of the Scriptures and leads no man by a new wild-fire light nor doth the spirit of God sway and determin a topick conjectural way while there is a speculative doubting as touching any light from Scripture whether the course be lawful or warranted by the word or not for the spirit of God leads by Scriptures infallibility Isa 59. 20 21. 9. The actings of the true spirit are gentle civil human and he bids us follow whatsoever is of good report whatsoever things are pure Phil. 4. 8 9. The spirit of Enthusiasts leaving Scripture licences men to abominations which Heathens abhor 10. The actings of the spirit of Christ are seasonable Matth. 10. 19.
believed and stands cloathed with the authority of Canonick Scripture otherwise Libertines must cashier the books of Moses 3. Nor hath Christ removed out of the letter of the Scripture Law and Gospel to teach us no more thereby but only by the Spirits instruction for even the doctrine of the Law curses Deut. 27. Deut. 28. are a part of the immediately inspired word of God shining with the same majesty holiness divinity convincing power as the letter of the Gospel Psal 19. 7 8 9 10. 4. Christ hath not removed as Saltmarsh Dell and others teach from the Law moral the divine obligation to holiness and righteousness for it layes the same bands and obligations to the duties of love and obedience to God and of love truth mercy righteousness soberness to man which was upon us in Moses time for that way grace should teach loosness lawless wantonness not holiness We would press good works holiness godly walking on all as they would see God and not be trees hewen down and cast in the fire Suppose we could not with Schoole accuracy rid marches as touching the necessity thereof but we are to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees justification by works 5. Christ and the Spirit of Christ dwell in the Law to joyn gracious influences therewith to humble sinners to cast them down to bring them to self-despair that they may flee to Christ CHAP. VII Of enlargedness of heart Psal 119. 32. I will runne the way of thy commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart THe words have no great difficulty Running imports a cheerful nimble willing activeness in giving obedience to Gods commandements Enlarging is a widening of the heart and the Lords giving of a wider capacity to run by bestowing influences on David in heavenly dispositions and actings for God Hence the Text shall be cast into these questions Q. 1. Whether David was now under straitning that he so speaks Q. 2. What the straitning is Q. 3. Whether David might promise and undertake to run upon the supposal of an enlarged heart granted him of God Q. 4. Is there no running except the Lord give enlargement and new influences and what we may here doe Q. 2. What enlargedness of heart is and the branches thereof To the first The frequent complaints of David in the Psalm seem to say some straitning was on him 1. He complaines of his soul cleaving to the dust of his soul dropping away for heaviness 2. He frequently seeks from God teaching quickening enlightning which saith that some deadness darkness and narrowness of heart was on He who is nearest heaven and is as it were all prayer misses many things Psal 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart that I may not sin against thee He must then be well instructed when the word is hid in his heart yet saith he v. 12. Teach me thy statutes v. 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches 24. Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors 30. I have chosen the way of truth thy judgments have I laid before me 31. I have stuck unto thy testimonies What wants David then that a glorified and perfected man hath yes he wants more enlargedness of heart v. 32. he wants more of Gods teaching v. 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statues He wants a bowed heart to the Law 36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies He wants more life and spiritual vigorousnesse 37. Quicken thou me in thy way Begging and suiting supposeth need and want at least a want of the degrees of grace How sweet is it to be rich in missing and feeling of wants and that is the dangerous state of Laodicea Rev. 3. 17. I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing 2. Where there is much sinful complaining and onely complaining there is lesse praying and praising Satan can make use of bastard sense of unworthiness and counterfeit letters from the Law to lay a man in prison and weaken praying David doth not so complain but he misses and also is rich in praying and praising To the second Straitning is a sort of narrowness and scarcity of heartiness in the ways of God It comes sometime from hainous sins the runaway child blushes and is straitned to speak to his father Adultery and bloodshed brings on David sealed lips and a closed heart in praising Psal 51. 15. while God enlarge both Lord may I have leave to pray to believe to apply the promises Psal 51. 12. Psal 119. 45. I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts Then casting aside the precepts brings straitning restraint and bands on the Christian in his walk and in praying praising hearing loving running in the way of Gods precepts A fettered man can act little hence drought of soul and the rain of influences are withholden 2. Heaviness of desertion brings on straitning Psal 77. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak Possibly from this Hezekiah is locked up in chattering like a crane in stead of praying 3. Satan may have leave as a faingied Pursevant to imprison where he hath no Law What hast thou to doe to pray Is not Joshua ragged and cloathed with filthy garments And Satan stands before the Angel at his right hand to resist him in praying for Jerusalem for he is not worthy to pray for himself But the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebukes him Zech. 3. 1 2 3 4. 4. There is a narrowness that comes from ignorance until God give spiritual wisedome and largeness of heart see 1 Kings 4. 29. when we mistake God and unbelief represents God as a lyon or a bear Lam. 3. 10. Isa 38. 13 and Christ is represented as a terrifying Spirit not as Christ Matth. 14. 26. Luke 4. 37. How can the poor man pray to a lyon or a terrifying spirit What weak influences are there in speaking to God covered with a cloud of anger 5. The Lord out of the depth of holy soveraignty withdrawes the breathings of the Spirit and straitens the man that he cannot speak with lively liberty that he may depend upon the free out-goings of the Spirit He who waters the garden waters every plant of the garden every moment Isa 2. 7. and when he waters not there is a drying up 6. Neglect of praying and fetching enlargement from the fountain may straiten as appears from Pauls suiting of the prayers of the Lords people that God would grant him a door of utterance with holy liberty to preach the mystery of the Gospel Eph. 6. 19. Col. 4. 3. For much of the anointing there is in the man Christ that draws wondering at the gracious word spoken by Christ Luke 4. 18 22. See also the Churches prayer Acts 4. 29. For it is a grant of grace to speak with enlargement 7. If fear and dismayment be on the heart Jer. 1. 17. and Ezekiel may not
God of nature by a sort of necessity must give influences to the egg so prepared to be a living bird when the heart is boyling and seething with thoughts of the King the tongue is the pen of a ready writer When the heart is fixed Psal 57. 7. as if he were master of influences he humbly out of the abundance of the heart engageth to sing and give praise I my self will awake early There is here fire therefore the Lord shall blow upon his own kindling no question we may cast water on our own coals The heart of the two disciples is burning like an oven while Christ speaks to them by the way Luke 24. 31. yet they fortifie themselves and fetch reasons to strengthen unbelief so as they seem to fetch unbelief and unbelief comes not on them unsent for ver 21. We trusted that it was he who should have redeemed Israel we are beguiled This is the third day the women said he was risen again but none saw him Strangle not heavenly dispositions they shall break out Prop. 3. For the branches of enlargedness of heart there is a fulness of the holy Ghost in the Baptist in Steven which was not a transient disposition but a permanent habit but this breaks out in something more then an habit The Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson in mighty influences when he broke the cords and carried away the ports of the City Psal 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter like a boyling and seething pot and that puts him to speak of the King Elihu Job 32. 18. I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me 19. Behold my belly is as new wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles There was a heavenly spring a new fountain broken up in him and excellently beyond all the friends he pleads for the Lord his soveraignty O what fulness above measure above his fellows was in the man Christ the law was in his heart and the fulness of grace and as it were to overtake the running over well he takes whole nights to prayer and for Preaching and working miracles he hath not leisure to sleep or eat If there be a fire in Jeremiah's bowels what wonder then prophecying flame out of his mouth and he confess he was weary with forbearing Jer. 20. and God obtains his holy end The people are warned of their sin when Micah saith in opposition to the empty Prophets Micah 3. 6. But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of judgment and of might and that fulness fetches influences from heaven to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin This condemns the cold indifferent and dead actions of many who are far from that whatsoever ye doe doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the heart or soul which sayes some duties are soul-less actions and actions dead without heart and soul Isaiah would have us if we fast aright to give bread and not that only Isa 58. 10. but to draw out or vomit out so the word the soul to the hungry There is often great scarcity of the soul in our actions every acting in Gods way being an act of hypocrisie and a dumb and dead action When shall we lay the Lords glory to heart and do things from the soul Ah prayers without a soul what influences of grace are here hearing and no soul-hearing 2. There is a wideness and an all-ness in regard of wisedome Solomon had wisedome and largeness of heart as the sand that is on the Sea-shore 1 Kings 4. 29. So Paul Col. 1. 9. We cease not to pray that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedom Eph. 1. 8. Christ hath abounded overflowed to us in all wisedome and prudence Col. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisedome Here is wideness of heart 2. And Solomon was but a shadow and the sand of the sea which none can number a shadow of a shadow in comparison of Christ Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome And therefore he went about doing good up and down sowing good deeds to the world Acts 10. 38. Whom God anointed with the holy Ghost and with power Here is wideness of heart and abundance of influences and acting of good night and day 3. The wisedome of Angels is large Hence that wise as an Angel of God and also the fulness of God in their affections teacheth us that wideness of heart is outed in continual acting and so in multiplied breathings of God and Angels doe not walk and run onely but fly with wings cheerfully to doe the Lords will and what influences must be there when each having six wings they cease not night nor day to cry one to another Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts Almighty which was and which is to come the whole earth is filled with his glory Rev. 48. Isa 6. 3. 4. The glorified see him face to face that is wideness of heart and they serve him night and day and weary not Rev. 14. 2 3 4. Rev. 7. 9. 5. The more the Prophets and Apostles saw of God the more the heart is enlarged to teach and to warn every man Col. 1. 3. There is an enlargement of heart in loving Christ and in the experimental knowing and feeling thereof and in godly fear and joy Eph. 4. 19. Paul prays that the Ephesians may comprehend the love in all the dimensions of it That ye may be able to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled not that it may be in you but be filled 2. with fulness that is a wide fill 3. with the fulness of God that is yet wider 4. with all the fulness of God and then follow influences above the prayers of the godly v. 20. He is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us Of the latter Isa 60. 5. when the Gentiles shall be brought in to the Church Thou shalt see and flow together thine heart shall fear and be enlarged And hence wideness of heart in acting the Church shall willingly receive them and with joy also and hold open their gates night and day v. 11. and influences of grace and glory shall so be rained on the Church that her Sun shall no more goe down nor her Moon withdraw it self v. 20. All her people shall be righteous 21. A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation Nor shall they be weary in running Psal 92. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing The oyl burns and the oyl grows for Isa 40. 31. They shall run and not be weary A glimmering of newes come that Christ is risen and John and Peter try their speed who shall be first at the grave and Magdalen outruns
both and seeks with teares and stayes about the grave until she find her Lord. The Lord must be displeased with our narrowness How little a portion of him doe we see We are not straitned in the Lords heart but in our selves He calls for wider hearts Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. 10. not the mouth but the heart our narrow heart and narrow faith is like the little hand of the child who hath not fingers to hold the large and great apple 2. The fool wants a heart Hos 7. 11. Prov. 9. 4. Then must the fooles of this world know little of an enlarged and wide heart as little as the horse or the mule that hath not the understanding of a man nor have they the heart of the new man Speak to the natural men of the fatness of the Lords house of all the fulness of God and the showers of influences of grace of the anointing of all wisedom and ye speak to new weaned children 3. Idlers and sleepers that run not in the way of Gods commandements but are hot as fire and mad and run as the Galatians in a wrong way are hence rebuked Many run and sleep little after their corn and wine and oyl after their vineyards honours but not with enlarged hearts in the Lords way They run to set up themselves and in place of Religion set up all the wicked religions of hell Toleration is high but he shall be laid hold on who prophecies and cries against the cursed Altar 4. There is a Spirit of deadness on many professors the judgment of the Church of Sardis Rev. 3. 1 2. and hardly can sleepers waken themselves we pray not as David Psal 119. Quicken me quicken me Unrenewed professors are painted men praying and hearing men risen out of the grave dead on their feet preaching praying hearing and yet dead CHAP. X. Of fixedness of heart 2. Prayer begets an heavenly disposition and an heavenly disposition again begetteth prayer 3. Holy acts beget holy acts and an heavenly disposition begets an holy disposition 4. The Lord so frames his precepts and his promises as our actings are suitably required to his influences 5. These three are to be differenced 1. The spiritual state 2. The spiritual temper or constitution 3. The spiritual condition 6. The reason of doubling of sentences and words Psal 57. v. 7. My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise 8. Awake up my glory awake psaltery and harp I my self will awake early MY heart is fixed Gen. My heart is prepared my heart is confirmed established The doubling of the word my heart is confirmed noteth the vehemency of affection 2. As also the speaking of it to God O God my heart is fixed declares the sincerity of it 3. The speaking to his tongue to awake it his calling it his glory as Psal 16. 9. My glory rejoyceth that is my tongue expresseth joy is an elegant fiction of a person as speaking to his soul Psal 103. 1. Psal 116. 7. Psal 42. 11. and noteth some dulness in tongue and heart to praise God his bidding his psaltery and harp awake is also an elegant prosopopeia as if the harp could sleep and wake And there is another figure the instrument of musick is put for the gift of musick he tacitely prayer God to waken up his gift and his grace of musick to praise and that God would awake himself to praise being under the sense of the Lords deliverance of him when he fled into the cave for fear of Saul and the Lord delivered him out of the hand of Saul and put Sauls life in his reverence The words contain 1. The disposition of fixedness of heart 2. His vehemency of affection in doubling the expression 3. His speaking of it prayer-wise O God my heart is fixed His sincerity 4. What the disposition wrought in him a fixed resolution to praise and a waking up of his gift of musick awake psaltery and of himself I my self will awake early The word my heart is fixed is rendred by Amsworth my heart is firmly prepared Diodati my heart is re-confirmed or re-assured Calvin in the French my heart is well disposed Geneva prepared Q. How got David this heavenly disposition 1. The occasion was 1 Sam. 24. as the title of the Psalm bears Saul with three thousand men-persons David in the rocks of the wild goats in the wilderness of Engedi Saul went into the cave to cover his feet and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave and David went in and cut the lap of Sauls garment and had in his power to kill Saul and his men counselled him so to doe but in stead of arfrighting Saul and his army the Lord suggests the fear and awe of God he durst not kill him 2. He trusted in God for deliverance another way then to put hands on the Prince as Psal 112. 7. A good man is not afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. This is the fixedness of faith opposite to fear and unbelief when another man would tremble being compassed with three thousand instruments of death as many men as many deaths yet his heart is fixed on God both to believe and to pray David by prayer Be merciful to me O God and by faith gets this confident disposition and this confident disposition brings forth acts of believing in stead of trembling and resolutions to praise and to sing and give thanks But if the question be moved how gets David grace to believe and grace to pray Certainly by influences of grace upon the occasion of the delivery So that here acts of praying bring forth holy dispositions to pray and to praise as is clear Be merciful unto me O God and God both delivered him and gives him fixedness of heart to pray and praise when a natural man would tremble at the sight and fear of so many deaths And again a disposition and fixedness of heart brings forth a resolution to praise and give thanks And 2. a stirring up of himself and his musick to praise yea and actual praising v. 11. Be thou exalted O God above the heavens let thy glory be above all the earth As the herb brings forth the seed and the seed again brings forth the herb and so the herb brings forth the herb and the seed the seed and the apple brings forth the tree and the grape the vine tree and again the tree brings forth the apple and the vine-tree the grape the water is the maker of ice and ice is dissolved into water and again that water is turned into ice Q. What shall beget a holy disposition to pray A. Praying begets a holy disposition to pray When David goes up the mount of Olives fleeing from Absolom he weeps and prayes Psal 3. and that praying begets a fixedness to believe and a disposition to pray v. 6. I shall not be afraid of ten
Peters temper was weak but when he gave a confession of Christ Matth. 16. he was under a gracious disposition and Peters continuing with Christ in his temptations did suppose a gracious dispoâ—â—tion in these acts of his and the rest of the believing Disciples Luke 22. 29 30. 3. The Lords Disciples are all born again Judas excepted but it were hard to say that John the beloved Disciple was of the same temper before the death of Christ with Peter who proved more sinfully rash in many things then John 2. A disposition is a transient impression that may be left upon the spirit by an occurrence of providence which though it sometime continue long is not necessarily alway so Upon the supposed death of Joseph Jacob refused to be comforted upon the departure of the Ark Phineas daughter in law is disposed to die for sorrow which in a great part was a gracious disposition it s like this great deliverance left a strong impression on Davids spirit and brought out praising of God But to the particular this disposition is a fixedness of resolution to believe pray praise having its rise from this present merciful deliverance it s opposed to the trepidation and doubting of unbelief which made him say elsewhere One day or other I shall perish by the hand of Saul which also saith that this was not ever Davids condition but being deserted of God he was under a contrary disposition but good it were alway to keep the heart under such a fixedness Ah but we are up and down out and in as touching stedfastness and unmoveableness in the work of the Lord the Galatians did run well a while the balasting of saving grace is most necessary it was a sad word 2 Tim. 1. 15. This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia are turned away from me John 6. 66. from that time many 2. of his disciples 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took them to things behind went backward and 4. walked no more with him they left both Christ and the profession of Christ It was a sad suspending of influences when all the Disciples forsooke him and fled Matth. 26. My heart is fixed my heart is fixed The second particular is the doubling of the words In this and in the following words we have divers considerable characters and properties of heavenly dispositions 1. The doubling noteth the heat and fervour of affection in David as that My God my God notes the heat of faith two gripes of faith is better then one so saith the tripling of that prayer O my Father O my Father remove this cup Matth. 26. There is fire in the desire Psalm 57. 1. Be merciful to me O God be merciful to me and twice in this Psalm v. 5. Be thou exalted O God c. and again v. 11. Be thou exalted O God Psalm 46. that is doubled the Lord of hosts is with us v. 7 11. for his mercy endureth for ever is repeated twenty six times in one Psalm 1. In sinners in Christ it could not be it notes a sort of distrusting of the Spirit they will not believe the heart at the first word Not unto us O Lord that is not enough the heart is ready to steal the Lord's glory therefore he addeth not unto us but unto thy name give the glory therefore the doubling of it speaks the certainty Gen. 41. 32. 2. It notes that we are to make an eik to our assurance my heart is fixed O God therefore two witnesses are better then one he says it over again my heart is fixed for we shall deny that any such heavenly disposition was in the hour of temptation and say all is but false work in so doing he blows the coal when he finds it smoaking and blows twice and strikes the iron again and again when he finds it hot So he awakes up tongue and voice musick and harp gift and grace to praise the Lord as when he finds his heart in a praising disposition he desires an eik of all creatures in heaven and earth Psalm 103. all the Angels all his hosts all his works in all places of his dominion to joyne with his soule to blesse the Lord v. 20 21 22. 3. It notes a fiercenesse and a strong flaming of the affection and a sort of violence of assenting to the influences of grace which brought on that holy disposition which teacheth us when holy dispositions offer a divine violence to the soul to joyn our violence to his violence we will run that is our violence Draw me that is his violence Psalm 119. 32. I will run the way of thy commandments and press my self to willing and hot obedience if thou shall or when thou shall enlarge my heart 2. To this purpose we are to meet his actings of love Cant. 1. 4. The King brought me into his chambers with extolling and praising his love we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine the upright love thee 3. Let us intend and enlarge the acting of our heart to him Christ puts in his hand by the hole of the door which was a strong inward stirring of the Spirit of Jesus and the Spouse meets this with bended and mighty acts of loving obedience As 1. My bowels were moved for him For whom for him my Beloved who did stand and knock while his head was full of dew and his locks wet with the drops of the night v. 2. 2. I rose up to open to my Beloved and my hands dropped with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock Here are both repentance in rising to open whereas she excused and shifted the business before and sense of the savouriness and heavenly feeling as of a sweet smell of myrrh joy sense of joy and delight in obedience to him 4. There is a formal holy violence offered to him the Angel Christ wrestles with Jacob which is a sort of fighting and opposing his strength to Jacobs strength and he opposeth trying and tempting reason to Jacob Let me go for its dawning and Jacob opposeth his violence on the contrary I will not let thee go until thou bless me And the Beloved is wrestling to win away after long absence and much painful seeking Cant. 3. 1 2 3. but the Spouse offers violence on the contrary with all her strength I held him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mothers house and unto the chambers of her that conceived me 5. Its sit to meet a thirst of the Lords Spirit in a flowing of feeling with a thirst of faith when Christ saith to Thomas John 20. 27. Reach hither thy finger and behold my hand and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side this was a great condescension of Christ in bestowing on him a flowing of feeling and Thomas answers it with a strong act of the application of faith My Lord and my God 6. When
strong convictions come upon the spirit we are to yield our hearty assent to him Matth. 27. 54. the Centurion and the watchers of Christ seeing the earth-quake and other wonders from heaven say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 23. 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true certainly undoubtedly this was the Son of God this was a righteous man but ah he calls and we answer not we love to be wrought on as stones and blocks and could wish to be carried sleeping to heaven in Christs bosome 2. We often suffer the heart to cool and obey not the Spirit in his heavenly disposition and let the fire die out and the furnace cool 3. It were good if we did not counter-work heavenly dispositions by refusing and shifting Cant. 5. 3. of God and the actings of his Spirit Cant. 5. 2. open to me nay saith the Spouse how can I open The third particular is that David speaketh this prayer-ways to God there may be so heavenly a disposition upon the child of God as he dare lay it before God in point of sincerity that it is not rotten David prayer-ways lays before God the fervor of his desire of God Psalm 42. 1. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God Psalm 63. 1. My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee Psalm 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee Psalm 119. 103. How sweet are thy words unto my mouth v. 97. O how love I thy law Psalm 139. 17. How precious are thy thoughts to me And the Church saith Isa 26. 8. Yea in the way of thy judgements we have waited for thee O Lord the desire of our soul is to thy name Jer. 15. 16. Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart for I am called by thy name O Lord God of hosts Q. 1. May we not lay out rotten and unclean hearts before God A. No doubt the pained man may lay out his boils before the Physitian and confession of sins and of the evil of our ways make way to making of a new creation in us Psalm 51. 5 10. Q. To what end should we speak to God of the sincerity of heavenly dispositions and fixedness of heart A. 1. Because neither David nor any of the Saints can order their own hearts under heavenly dispositions therefore the telling of this to God is a seeking help from him to improve these dispositions Peter cannot make use of the glory of Christs transfiguration which he saw except grace help in a manner glory and the Lord inable Peter to make the right use of it as he doth 2 Pet. 1. 16 17. and not as he doth Mark 9. 5 6 7. The Spouse banqueting with Christ in his garden eating honey and the honey-comb is in greater danger to miscarry and turn sleepy and carnally secure as it fell out Cant. 1. 2 3. then when she wants his presence Cant. 3. 1 2 3. It s not easie to guide a new heart or to guide and use well the heaven of a fixed heart and such heavenly disposition at the Kings banquet of wine when he gives the hidden manna and the white stone when Christs banner over you is love and his left hand under the head and the right embracing you there is then if ever need to pray and Christ is our precedent in this when he was transfigured and in that heaven so as he seemed to be beyond praying in a state of praising yet he prays Luke 9. 29. and then there is need of watching yea a believer is to pray in a good sense to be delivered from the evil of our prayers and from the sinful abusing of spiritual acts of a renewed heart from the evil of the flowings of free grace and heavenly dispositions so to speak and therefore should we tremble for fear that our sinful abuse of the impressions of the Spirit and heavenly dispositions move not the Lord to hide his face from his own shinings of grace and darken his own Sun and overcloud his noon-day beams and rays of light and love and who knows that God may mar his own feast and remove the table before the believer eat because he was sinfully wanton at the sight of dainties and prayed not humbly that Christ would bless his coming down to his garden and his banqueting with his Spouse Psalm 141. David prays for his own prayers it s a great art to carry equally the running over cup of consolation or to guide the comforts of the Spirit when the man is high the head is giddy Psalm 77. 6 7. I will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of praise I will sing yea I will sing praises to the Lord this hath been a warmly condition of his spirit therefore he follows it with prayer v. 7. Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice The body being warm and sweating there 's need to take heed that cold get not into the heart 2. To tell the Lord of our fixedness of heart is a sort of in aging of him to perfect his own new building and to send rain and summer warmness on his own sowing and to perfect what he hath begun and it s a secret praying that God would make an eik to his own work that he would give influences of grace and would be pleased to milk out holy actings willing and doing out of holy dispositions Psalm 119. 35. Make me to go in the path of thy precepts for therein do I delight If the Lord give freely of grace a disposition to delight in his precepts he will also give grace to walk in his paths he that made the plant creates the tree and the fruit he who made the vine-tree makes the Summer-sun to nourish it v. 159. Consider how I love thy precepts quicken me O Lord according to thy loving kindness The Lord who gives the life of love and a warmly disposition of heart to the precepts of God must also give more quickning to that life he that brings the sown corn to a blade brings it to an ear of corn and to be bread the saving work of grace is one piece one building foundation walls and covering it s one growing tree root bulk and branch one compleat new man Doth the Lord of free grace create half a new man or rear up half a new building No grace is grace is grace going on and advancing till it be reaped grace and so glory 3. He tells the Lord of his fixed heart by way of thanksgiving and praise as Psalm 131. Lord my heart is not haughty he lays before the Lord the depth of the mercy of heavenly dispositions and of a fixed and prepared heart though he was at the mouth and entry of death the cave was like to be his burial place being chased for his life into it yet he tells the Lord he feared no evil in the valley of death Hence 1. Try
the disposition of the heart see what hearts ye can bring out before the Lord its true the repenting thief could not as Hezekiah say Lord I have walked before thee with a perfect heart or as Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith yet the crown is laid for love and such as love his appearance though all cannot wind up to be such fighting souldiers as Paul was the repenting thiefs flock was small his race short yet what he wanted of inherent grace that Hezekiah and Paul had he had it of free righteousness and Christ crucified was the gloriation of both David brings not out his fixed heart in his extream danger as building his peace on it the influence of works on justification and peace is not causative no more then the poor bride can say she hath put a debt upon the bride-groom to love her with marriage love because she wears his golden chains his bracelets and jewels it s the bridegrooms comliness that he puts upon her nor can roses and lillies say our Creator is our debtor oweth us love because we are subjects bearing his colours smell vertue and beauty of the Creator What would the rose be if the Creator should take all from it he gave to it We know such a rock to be covered with water therefore its full sea here is smoke therefore here is fire And ah what a heart in death can the unrenewed man bring forth before the Lord except he say Lord I was never in Christ Lord I never wept for sin Lord I never did a good work for Christ but all for my self Lord I prophesied in thy name but I was never born again but hated all those that were born again 2. How strongly may the believer argue who hath any heavenly fixedness of heart or any thing of Christ in him It s a sort of holy obligation with reverence that he shall bring forth to acting all his own holy dispositions it speaks an ingaging of holy unchangeableness that he shall perfect the good work he hath begun but be not ye lazy and do not ye sleep and say God shall do of all his grace that is a strong argument that the man who habitually uses such logick hath nothing to do with Christ Ah the Spirit will do whether I will or not and in the mean time thou livest a sensual beast know that thou but foments lies of the holy Ghost Jude puts these two together v. 19. sensual not having the Spirit and before v. 8. Likewise all these filthy dreamers defile the flesh dreaming and filthiness are conjoyned Men dream the influences of grace shall go along with their dispositions for good and they are but natural dispositions at the best and the Lord never said he would perfect nature and finish works of nature that are begun in swinish dreamers woful secure dreaming destroys external professors men will not awake neither are they afraid of that condition but a trembling professor is the surest and safest professor Verse 7. I will sing and give praise V. 8. Awake my glory awake psaltery The fourth point in the text tells us what this fixedness of heart produced in David I will sing so we are led to the rest of the characters and properties of the heavenly disposition of fixedness for it brought forth holy actings as singing of praise and awaking of his gift and grace which flow from holy dispositions hence the second property of holy dispositions 1. Once grace brings forth another and so holy dispositions holy actings faith and trusting in God brings forth claiming of God as the mans own Psalm 16. 1. In thee do I put my trust Hence v. 2. O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord. The disposition of believing brings forth speaking Psalm 116. 10. I believed therefore I spake 2. A disposition of loving God brings forth praying Psalm 18. 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength 3. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised Hannah Jonah Hezekiah David the afflicted soul Psalm 102. graciously sad and heavy pray and call on God in that case 3. The disposition of felt mercy brings forth praises Psal 30. 5. O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave v. 3. Hence that Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness 4. David's joyful disposition to glory in the Lord brings forth his dancing before the Ark with all his might and his constancy therein to be yet more vile before the Lord what ever Michol said to the contrary and this is most sutable to the nature of heavenly dispositions motion comes kindly from the wheels when they are oyled the heavenly dispositions oyles and anoints the soul and renders the powers more active as they anointed wrestlers of old to make them more nimble and active in wrestling 2. The very intention apointment of God speaks so much God hath ordained heavenly dispositions for heavenly actings as he hath appointed the plant to be a tree the seed to be growing corn bread the Lord sends a praying disposition on David as a seed of praying a praising disposition that he must rise at midnight and praise Psalm 119. 62. and prevent the dawning and the night-watches to cry and pray v. 147 148. And an hoping disposition on Job that when he is dead bones lying in a bed he must profess his perswasion to see his living Redeemer stand the last man on the earth and desires his words were printed in a book and graven with a pen of iron and lead in the rock for ever Job 19. 24 25 26 27. And dispositions on Elihu to plead for the Lords Soveraignty so as if he should hold his tongue he should give up the ghost his belly should burst like new wine-bottles Job 32. 19. And Job must plead for God and for his own integrity that he was not an hypocrite as his friends slanderously said his disposition pressing him so as he saith Job 13. 19. Who is he that will plead with me for now if I hold my tongue I shall give up the ghost And the Lord gives such a disposition of zeal for God to Moses though he was a man of a meek disposition that he breaks the two Tables of stone containing the written law when he heard of the peoples worshipping of the golden calfe and such a heavenly self-denying disposition to prophecie on Jacob that in his testament he curses his two sons Simeon and Levi for their unjust anger against the Sichemites and there is such an impression of zeal and a feaver against Idolatry on Pauls spirit at Athens Acts 17. that he must dispute against their false gods Nor are we to think that holy dispositions are but as sailes to the ship and wings to the bird which adde no strength to the
ship or bird for they are such principles as doe actively render the soul able for works of grace and in nothing doe we fail more then in not striking on the flint to bring out fire We improve not heavenly dispositions as the Prophet complaines Isa 64. 7. There is none that stirs up himself to take hold on thee Qu. But to act when the soul is under an indisposition is as if the bird should fly without wings Answ If we speak of the renewed ones that are in Christ when dispositions heavenly seem to be a fire quenched out and turned to cold ashes we are to stir up and awake the habit of grace and act thereby for the instinct and nature of the new man hath in it virtually gracious acts and we are to improve the habit of grace 2. When one disposition is smothered with the down-casting of unbelief yet is there an half of a contrary spiritual disposition alive working contrary to unbelief by reason whereof David chides his own soul Psal 42. 5. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance Whether Davids soul pleads against Davids soul by the habit of grace or by an heavenly disposition or by both it sayes something to this that all dispositions spiritual are never so removed but there is a seed of God which may be wakened up 2. When the disposition is smoared with heaviness there is another counterworking heavenly disposition Psal 119. 28. My soul melteth for heaviness Then there hath been some disposition of deadnesse on yet behold a disposition to pray counterworking that disposition Strengthen me according to thy word v. 81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation Fainting speaks some weaknesse yet there is a disposition to hope which counter-acts fainting But I hope in thy word v. 83. I am become like a bottle in the smoke which is some disposition to deadnesse on the spirit but see the counter-working disposition but I do not forget thy statutes 3. As the Spirit at length in the renewed prevailes over the flesh Rom. 7. 23 24. so the gracious disposition is victorious over and hath the better of the sinful disposition So whatsoever was Davids doubting disposition at another time or now when he is forced to flee to the cave and part with his few Souldiers his faith and believing disposition prevailes over his fears and doubting as is clear v. 1. My soul trusteth in thee 3. He shall send from heaven and save me 7. My heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Else could a slain man buried in the cave sing and give praise And let this be considered as the third property and character of heavenly dispositions Hence under indispositions we would doe as those who would be over the water if one foord be too deep try another and try every foord there is an indisposition to believe there may be a spiritual disposition to pray beside it set to praying there is a deadnesse that hinders praying that the Church cannot speak Psal 77. 4. yet there is in the Church a disposition to praise in the same Psalm v. 14. Thou art the God that dost wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people 15. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people the sons of Jacob and Joseph Then set about praising there is nothing left but the habit of grace dispositions motions experiences are all gone turn over the promises and act upon the habit and blow upon the live coal and strengthen that which remaines when one instrument is broken the tradesman makes use of another 2. Though sinful dispositions for a while and the flesh have the better wait on the Lord and trust to his strength and act the heavenly flamings of God at length shall prevail The Spouse is drowsie for a while and refuses to open and shifts Christ of lodging Cant. 5. 2. yet at length when Christ puts in his hand by the hole of the door faith and heavenly dispositions are victorious and she rises and opens and misseth and seeks and prayes and becomes sick of love for him v. 6 7 8. and bursts out in a high song of extolling her beloved v. 10 11 12. Job is under much sadnesse of unbelief and dumpishness of spirit Job 19. 6. Know that God hath overthrown me and hath compassed me with his net 7. Behold I cry out of wrong but I am not heard I cry aloud but there is no judgment Hard words if there be no judgment for an oppressed man crying to God there is no providence no governing God who rules the world yet v. 25. I know that my Redeemer lives I know I shall see him Get any of the habit of grace and spiritual dispositions and act with them and ye shall not want victorious influences upon this ground because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world 1 John 4. 4. 3. Get heavenly dispositions and God shall act upon his own work and bring forth all his own actings out of his own seed Now the way to get heavenly dispositions is 1. to be much in perusing the word and promises Davids meditating 2. Learning 3. Observing loving the testimonies of God prove that David was a heavenly disposed man Psal 119. 2. Keep communion with God in praying hearing reading conferring He who is much and daily among the oyntments of the Apothecaries smels shall cleave to him whether he will or not Luke 24. 34. John 7. 45 46. Cant. 2. 4 5 6. 7. 3. Mind much seek much the things that are above Col. 3. 1 2 3. 4. Cherish the Spirit obey him grieve him not work with him be instrumental under his breathings follow sweetly and willingly his drawings See Ephes 4. 29 30. 1 Thess 5. 19 20. Cant. 3. 4. Cant. 5. 8 9 10. 11 12 c. 5. Beware of frequent smoaring divine light deal tenderly with the light of the natural conscience and tenderly with convictions and warnings if so you can hardly want divine dispositions and suitable influences 1 Sam. 24. 4 5 6. My heart is fixed I will sing Awake up my glory See the touch of the Spirit in his heavenly dispositions set afloat the tongue 2. The Psaltery and Harp 3. David 4. Davids heart to sing and praise and though they were all sleeping they are all awakened out of their sleep As a great high Spring-tide set all the ships afloat though there were many hundreds of them And this is the Fourth Character of heavenly dispositions in which these are considerable 1. Such as are the dispositions such are the acts in their nature 2. Strong and mighty dispositions have strong and mighty actings 3. Smaller actings of dispositions waken up the soul to strong actings Sinful dispositions to the love of the world to vain-glory empty pleasures bring forth sinful actings the
should tread in my Courts in the way and manner that you do So Christ rebukes the Pharisees praying and alms-giving with the blowing of a trumpet in so doing and shews them they have no reward for such works Matth. 6. 1 2 3. therefore there was no reward promised to such works 3. Hypocrites as touching the manner of their doing do counterwork their own work as touching the substance of the duty commanded vain-glory hypocrisie-like poison and death in the pot pollutes the action as Ink and mire vitiates a cup of wine being mixed therewith better it is comparative to do something of the bulk of the duty then wholly to omit it and do nothing less or more 2. Ass Both all the good action and every part of it totae actio totum actionis falls under the command of God he who commands us to hear in faith and read with believing commands us also to walk and journey to the place of hearing and commands us to encline our bodily ears to give attention of mind to the word as we hear a moral oration without wandring of heart though in these hear the word of God consider hear diligently encline your ears lay to your heart what is spoken God laies the obligation of a divine command on us to the physical act of walking to the place of liberal hearing as to the substance of the act and a tie to far more even to do the act with all the spiritual circumstances he who commands his servant to go to such a City fourty miles distant he commands him to go ten miles of these fourty miles also and while the servant is moving ten miles towards the City he gives obedience in part pro tanto and in so far to his masters command hence it must follow that giving of alms in the substance of the act is neerer in nature to the giving of alms in a spiritual Gospel-way then not giving of alms at all but a closing of both bowels and hand to the starving and famishing of the poor To the other question it may be enquired 1. Whether grace be above the desire of nature Answ Nature hath no power of getting supernatural gifts by the strength of nature but nature hath a capacity not such an actual desire which supposeth use of reason and discourse to supernatural happiness a capacity is an inclination to that which may perfect it so man intends or enclines toward God and is unquiet while he find him but it 's to abuse all Grammer to call a natural capacity an inbred appetite and natural desire 2. Whether grace be above the disposition of nature Answ This receives the same answer almost the habit of sin by which a man is dead in sin Eph. 2. cannot consist with a sweet disposition of nature to get grace the same wine cannot be both sweet and sour nor is there any sweetness in sour and bitter or unrenewed nature 3. Whether the grace of God be above the impetration purchase and prayers of nature Answ The Scripture teacheth us of no prayers by natures help but by the Spirit interceeding in the Saints Rom. 8. nor of any purchase of grace that nature can make grace prevenes nature but nature prevenes not grace 4. Whether grace be above natures merit Answ It were strange to say that nature can of condignity merit grace so as God should be unjust if he deny grace to nature where is that written and does not this make man and nature to make God a debtor as for the other merit of congruity if grace were not above this merit we should teach that nature may so far act as to make God a debtor to the mans acting as God should fail against decency good manners courtesie if he should deny saving grace to Seneca Cicero Aristides and such 5. Whether to the man who prepares himself by the works of nature to receive grace any supernatural grace is necessarily due Martinez de Ripaldo saith this opinion cannot be defended sine scrupulo without some scruple of conscience but an opinion may be true and yet by some weak conscience cannot be defended without some scruple of conscience but it is the bottom and marrow of Pelagianism as any versed in the doctrine of grace and in Augustine Hieronymus Fulgentius their works know 6. Whether the Lord does infallibly tie grace to works done by the strength of nature not as to a disposition or merit but as to a condition by the law of God saith Martinez or by the law of grace and covenant of grace and pur-chase of the merit of Christ as Alvarez lib. Respons ascribes to divers School-men and Jesuits which condition is conjoyned with the gift of helping grace This hath no shadow of ground in Scripture 6. Whether Gabr. Vasquez 1. part disp 91. q. 1. 14. doth upon good grounds defend that rotten opinion of the School-men Whether God doth confer such an help of grace which is necessarium ad fidem justificationem necessary and sufficient to saith and justification to the man who doth what he can ex viribus gratiae naturalis by the help of natural grace this also destroys it self Q. 7. Whether or not God useth to give sufficient grace or not to deny sufficient grace and other more abundant helps of grace to him who does what he can by the strength of grace intrinsecally supernatural This is not better then the rest for it supposeth that free-will disposeth absolutely of and determines this grace and earns by its endeavours faith and justification no man ever yet did what he can Q. 8. Whether Martinez de Ripalda Tom. 1. de Ente supernaturali lib. 1. disp 20. sect 3. sect 4. sect 5. saith right that God doth so ever confer helps of supernatural grace to all men as he stands and knocks at the door Rev. 3. 20. and it s in mens free-will be they Jews Christians or Pagans to open and believe but grace ex lege providentiae supernaturalis est necessaria is necessary to excite and stir up free-will Hence these Assertions 1. Assert This rotten principle of the School-men that to the man in nature who does what he can either by the strength of nature or by the strength of some grace which is sufficient universal and common to all men but yet determines not the will but leaves it to its own indifferency to will or nill God denies not saving grace for conversion is not to be holden 1. Because the places which speak of our natural inability prove the contrary Now if the natural man cannot know nor discern the things of God but judges them foolishness 1 Cor. 2. 13 14. If his wisedome be enmity against God and is neither subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. If there be a necessity of the Spirit of revelation that the eyes of the understanding being inlightned he may know what is the hope of his
calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe Eph. 1. 17 18 19 20. And if as touching the will and the affections he be wicked in all the frame and imaginations of the heart Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8 21. Jer. 17. 9. Ezech. 36. 26. Ezech. 11. 19 20. and that he cannot believe or come to Christ mediatly or immediatly except it were given him of God John 6. 65. Phil. 1. 29. 1. Act. 5. 31. 2 Tim. 2. 25. and except the Father draw him Joh. 6. 44 45. Eph. 2. 1 2 3 4. Tit. 3. 3. Why should the Masters of general grace tell us that Christ enlightens every man that comes in the world Joh. 1. 9. for men enlightned by Christ the true light are no more blind then seeing men and because this is actual illumination give us a place of Scripture where it is said that all the Brasilians Indians and other Gentiles are actually illuminated by Christ the true light even from the womb If from the womb when was that true Eph. 5. 8. Sometimes ye were darkness but now ye are light in the Lord for such as are actually illuminated by Christ were never darkned for the actual illumination denominates men as truly as the morning light names the air lightsome And when did the Ephesians and other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their minds having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart And if Christ shall destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all nations Isa 25. 7. then there is such a covering and vail over all faces and if people be blind in darkness and under the power of Satan Acts 26. 18. untill the preached Gospel open their eyes If Christ the true light do actually illuminate the Brasilians Indians Turks those of China who never heard the Gospel is a question 2. If Christ stand at the door of the heart of Brasilians Indians and knock and they have power of free-will to open as Martinez saith and the Lord every moment knock and awaken up the will by moral swasion or preaching of the Gospel the Pelagian grace by inspiration which adds no new strength to the will then is there here a market for the buying of influences of saving grace how comes it that never man in Brasilia India was ever converted to Christ and professed Christ The Scripture which saith there is no name under heaven by which men are saved but by the name of Jesus Act. 4. 12. is here silent all stories of human writers are silent 3. The place Rev. 3. 20. is meant of the visible Church of Laodicea v. 14. to the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write These things saith the Amen c. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me fine gold tried in the fire c. Did ever Christ by John or any other Apostle or Pastor write Gospel and command faith and repentance to the Angels of the Churches of Brasilia India and those who never heard any such Gospel-counsel to buy fine gold and white raiment and eye-salve from Jesus Christ as also the Jesuit with the same breath names this converting and saving Gospel grace for he cites that of John 15. without me ye can do nothing and the other texts hereafter which our Saviour clearly expones to be growing in Christ as branches in the vine-tree by faith drawing life from Christ v. 4. Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me 5. I am the vine 8. for without me the true vine ye can do nothing ye can bring forth no saving fruit Now the bastard-grace which the Jesuit will have to be saving and Christ knocking at the door is nothing but cogitationes affectiones naturales honesti and I should gladly know if Christs meaning John 15. 5. Without me ye Brasilians and Indians and except by faith ye abide in me as branches in the vine-tree you exercise no acts of desiring or thinking on an honest object nor can ye do what is in you to attain to natural thoughts of the same kind Must the Jesuit have the Apostle to speak to the Brasilians and Indians O ye Brasilians work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it 's God that works in you to will and to do Phil. 2. in all honest natural thoughts And 2 Cor. 12. 6. God is in you working all in all that is v. 11. All these worketh the same Spirit of God giving to you Brasilians the spirit of wisedom the gift of healing the gift of working miracles as v. 7 8 9 10. And the God of peace Heb. 13. 20 21. make you Brasilians perfect in every good work to do his will revealed in the Gospel working that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ If this be not abusing of Scripture what is it for he cites these Scriptures So Prov. 1. Wisedom crys without she uttereth her voice in the streets Christ the eternal wisedom of the Father never proclaimed the wisedom of the Gospel which hath so many Gospel-promises annexed to it to the stupid Brasilians read Prov. c. 2. c. 3. c. 4. c. 8. and the manifestation that God makes to the Gentiles Rom. 1. is a natural not a Gospel manifestation But I cannot stay see the Authors on the Margin 3. He who loves persons and hates them e're they be born or do good or ill and hath mercy upon these same by softning and hardning their hearts not because they run or run not or will or will not but because the Lord hath mercy on whom he will then there is no purchasing by our endeavours of the work of conversion 4. All Gospel-promises and all Gospel-threatnings are revealed in the Old and New Testament as well as the Gospel it self and the Gospel-commandment for an unwritten Law and Gospel binds not us But neither in Old or New Testament is there such a promise The nation and the person that doth such things shall be rewarded with the blessing of the preached Gospel Nor is there any such threatning that the nation or person that commit such sinnes and omit such duties shall be punished with the want of the preached Gospel for ever and with the want of faith and repentance only the latter suffers an exception in persons that sin against the holy Ghost for of Nations that sin and that before they hear the Gospel we read not It 's true the word of the Kingdome for great sins may be removed Zech. 11. 5 6 8 9. v. 12 13 14. Amos 8. 4 5 6. v. 11 12. Matth. 21. 33 34 35 41 42 43. Acts 13. 44 45 46 47.
are the influences of saving grace and though there be no promise made to the chosen do this and ye shall be converted yet Christ hath by his blood merited conversion and influences for conversion to them and as in Christ all providences are redemptory providences so hath the Lord ordained according to the decree of predestination and of redemption that hearing coming to such a place where Acts 2. Peter preaches where the Gaoler heares Paul Acts 16. to the well of Jacob where the woman confers with Christ beyond her intention are means of the conversion of such as are ordained to salvation so as providences of themselves natural are sometimes through the intention of God made redemptory providences for the conversion of the chosen 3. There is no connexion promissory betwixt natural or literal acting begun and spiritual acting and heat of the life of Christ As these actings are considered in themselves they seem to be one web but the one part of the web is course and grosse cloth the other is silk and cloth of gold they depend one upon another as some providential and general means and are intended of God 2. there is a coevistence betwixt them by a practise of grace not by a promise of grace 3. There is an order of priority and posteriority betwixt them 4. There is a vicinity material betwixt them as five is a number nearer to seven then three and yet three five seven all differ among themselves in nature and essence to hear is nearer to hearing in faith then no hearing at all or obstinate turning away the ear they are knit together as a piece of institution watered if I might so speak with a command and a heavenly acting of God for as was said before the literal acting some way falls under a commandmâ—nt he who commands hearing in faith commands hearing also 4. If there be a literal fixedness of consideration in looking to the duty and some literal missing and sense of deadness it puts the man in the borders of a spiritual duty and hardly wants the soul so acting the saving flowings of the Spirit the very bulk and body of a promise may give some literal wakening to a dead soul and the skaddings of a threatning maâ— put the dead soul in some motion 2 Sam. 12. 1 2 3 4. David gives a literal hearing by the light of a natural conscience to Nathans general parable At length when the Spirit sets it on by application thou art the man David v. 10 11 12 13. comes to some life of confession I â—ave sinned and there begin the spiritual seeds of Psalm 51. Indeed these two the literal part and the spiritual part make as it were in gross one bulk or body of a work but they are conjoyned as the clay and the gold in Nebuchadnezzars image they are joyned by God not by congruiâ—y or decency on the Lords part but of free grace not by promise not by merit nay not as work and wages but accidentall as touching their natures yet the wise Lord intends the one â—or the other it 's therefore good to be about means the waiting at the tyde is not sailing yet it makes way for sailing What connexion is there betwixt Saul's journey in seeking his fathers asses and Samuel's anointing him King of Israel none at all but a providential union there is but no man can say that there is here either a divine institution or a gracious promise yea or a congruity of means and end of work and wages though there be something of a marred institution in dead and dull hearing tied to saving believing here the same sweet breathing that falls on the rose acts on the hemlock which to me is some mystery to others merit of congruity which is detestable to others a free promise but it being examined well is but merit to others half a promise however the dispensation forbids laziness and commands all even though yet in nature to go about duties as creatures rational covenanted externally with God CHAP. XIII Q. 13. What the unrenewed and the renewed can do in the respective dead condition at the use of means 2. Influences work as God sets them on 3. A gracious heart reflects upon it self 4. We may do more by the habit of grace then we do 5. Divers cases of renewed and unrenewed 7. No promise is made to using of external means only yet a sad threatning is made to the not using of them 8. The opposition by unbelief that reprobates make to the Gospel IT is a matter of difficulty to determine because of the various cases what we may here do in the using of means 1. Unrenewed men and renewed both can do less in using of means when two mountains and two rivers are in the way then when one only is before them an unrenewed having both his natural corruption and a strong temptation against him can do no less So Naaman by his office being obliged to go to the house of the Idol-God Rimmon and not yet converted could more hardly abstain from that outward Idolatry then now when to natural corruption fear of offending his master the King of Assyria is added No doubt Pilate naturally loathed and hated Christ as Herod Acts 12. did the Apostles and the Gospel but when Pilate is afraid to offend the people and to seem an enemy to Caesar and Herod willing to pleasure the Jews it 's no wonder then both be not only weakned in using the means to believe in Christ but also positively oppose Christ and the Gospel and if both had been engaged in a profession of Christ as many now are they might have used means more largely to believe and preferred Christ not in their heart and real estimation of mind to men pleasing but in some externals also but that should be no concludent argument that they really loved Christ because a name may put men to hazard court and means and life rather then deny Christ 2. This seems a considerable difference the earth cannot plow and sow wheat of it self yet when it is plowed and laboured and seeded it can enlive and nourish the sown corn but though we can do much more in the using of means then we do yet means work upon us if they be only external by no necessity of nature but according as he stirs who hath mercy on whom he will though men run and will Nor can we deny but the child of God indued with an habit of grace hath actu primo a power to draw life from the head as the living members can draw nourishment from the stomach through the liver and veins yet the Sun and heaven hath influence in all actings of nature the necessity of actual grace doth not remove any of the vertue and power of the habit of grace so doth the renewed heart lie fair to a Gospel-command and as actions vital are immanent and received often on themselves so here the heart renewed can work upon
lodging to the spirit to breath in Let nature stir first in the using of means First bow the knee stretch out the hands should the Spirit from above first bow the knee and first physically act upon the hands to lift them up nay nature begins in its order before the heat and fire of the spirit come flaming goes not before smoking but contrarily smoking leads the way to flaming the flaming of faith of love of paining desires in their spiritual vigour go not before stirring of the lips and lifting of the eyes to Heaven to pray that is no more true then refreshing and cooling of the heart go before eating and drinking will ye say I will not pray while first the spirit flame I will not hear while first I believe and I will not lay up the promises in the heart while first the heart burns in heat of love with the promises You then say I will not throw about the key until the door be first opened I will not hear the word until the Lord give me faith whereas the way of God is that faith as the end comes by hearing as the means leading to the end Rom. 10. and Gal. 3. Ye received the Spirit by the hearing of faith then of necessity our hearing and lending attention to Christ by the outer entry the ear must go before faith as the mean before the end whereas faith comes by hearing as vital heat is stirred up by running so it is true some inward burnings and flamings of spirit begin like smoking before flaming Psal 39. 1. Psal 45. 1. Acts 17. and then follows spiritual acting of praising preaching praying in which case there is as it were in the soul a fever and an inward boyling of a pot that must run over or new wine that must break the vessel and force vent so that silence or no acting must torment and pain the poor man but that is not ordinary for the set way is that we set to acting and the spirit strikes in as he thinks fit and the believer is to blow and stir the fire under the ashes as if he were seeking the wind and must stir and dig some fire and warmnesse out of the letter and let the spirit blow and flame as he will If any say a preparing of the heart goes well before acting that is true also if any say God commands not simple hearing but hearing mixt with faith what ever truth were in that as hearing without faith is sinful formality yet he commands in a divine order that we should hear to the end we may believe and the Lord commands not that we may believe that we may hear as nature ordains not growing and nourishing that the living creature may eat and sleep but by the contrary nature appointeth eating and sleeping that we may grow and be nourished If any say the Lord commands not hearing as to the substance of the act but saving spiritual and humble trembling at the Word and hearing in faith and this he commands to be done in believing and trembling at the Word in the same act in which he commands hearing It shall be denyed that in the order of begetting faith this is necessary that they ever be on and the same act the Lord preached to Adam Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the woman shall break the head of the serpent Adam by the Law of God of nature was first to hear and consider this first Gospel-truth and then to believe it and receive it in faith he was a rational and moral agent in believing and was not obliged in one and the same to hear and believe but as a rational agent he was first to hear and then to believe after consideration of the Gospel now heard and received in the ear and mind And the like may be said of Pagans at the first hearing of the Gospel they must hear and literally consider the letter of the Gospel before they believe As for the Lord 's commanding to believe to pray to read to praise sure we are to begin our duty of natural stirring in these acts though in another kind of cause God must first act us thereunto nor is the Lord 's stirâ—ing of us by omnipotent grace enjoyned to us but we are commanded to doe our duty and to pray for his drawing that we may run but yet by order of nature we are to doe our parts first in our physical way before we feel the stirring of divine influences Obj. He cannot pray he cannot believe and yet God commands him to believe Answ But his cannot as Mr. Fenner saith does not hinder If a wicked mans cannot only did hinder him he might excuse himself before the tribunal of Christ Lord thou knowest I did my best I would have been ruled by thy Word but I could not I would have been humbled and reformed better then I was but I could not For the culpable only hindering cause is Prov. 1. 29. They hated knowledge the fear of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they chused not They would none of my counsel they despised all my rebuke These four acts of wicked will are set down as the only faulty cause of their non-conversion and their not hearkning to wisedoms cry But if God had given efficacious grace which he out of his absolute liberty denyed certainly they would have been converted true and who denyes that All that have heard and learned of the Father come to me John 6. 45. If all such come and none miscarry then thou would have come also to Christ Surely after I was turned I repented Jer. 31. 19. but that is the cause of non-conversion physical and leaves not the blame on the holy Lord for the wicked will not yet remains and the conscience lays not the blame there but loves to have a physical bar of non-conversion to block up the way of moral non-conversion and four times subscribeth and consenteth to the absence and want of the Lord 's saving influence therefore except the unbeliever could say I had a desire hic nunc to abandon my lusts and to believe only this hinders God refâ—sed the sowing of a gracious power in me to believe pray repent and as an austere master he reaps and exacts believing and praying from a man who doth his best and all that in reason and justice can be craved of a man lays upon me threatnings commandments punishments who am only fettered against my will from obeying Hence faithful Mr. Fenner pag. 8. the moral and faulty reason why the wicked do not repent and come out of their sins is not because they cannot though they cannot but because they will not His reasons are 1. The wicked think they have power and yet they will not doe according to their thoughts what is the reason they hope to repent on their dead beds but because they think they have power or at least they are able to beg power of Jesus Christ Now by their
meet with the Lord 's wrathful rebuke then with his softening and pitying mercy CHAP. II. The Lord keeps an order in sending influences 2. He maketh short work on some 3. There is a confluence of influences at one time and in one work 4. Despising of the Word 5. Refusing of Ordinances 6. Persecuting of the Prophets 7. Resisting of the operations of the spirit do all obstruct influences 8. Praying and praising promove influences 9. Hardening of the heart 10. Not profiting by means 11. Remaining in nature 12. Actings in wrath rancor malice bitternesse and inordinate passion obstruct influences 13. Keep the oyl of the spirit clean if ye would have influences 14. We are to act morally and physically with the spirit 15. Prayers obstruct not soveraigntys acting THe Lord 's ordinary way of working is here to be observing the spirit confers not upon Peter's hearers Acts 2. influences of faith and of gladly receiving of the word v. 41. at the first before he bestow influences to the pricking of the heart for sin v. 37. nor does the spirit act upon Saul Acts 9. and the Jayler Acts 16. for their rejoycing in the Holy Ghost and believing and applying Christ and the promises at the first until first a law-spirit humble and make the proud to tremble Then the spirit must use divers instruments and shoot arrowes and influences of law and wrath and wound the heart with arrows of love as the Artist the Carpenter useth sundry tools according to the diversity of timber that he works on and the Lord here accommodates his influences according to the nature of the soyl It 's like Christs spirit made shorter and more expedite work on the hearts of James John for when Christ said unto them Follow me Matth. 4. 19 22. they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straigthway or immediately leave their nets and their father and follow him It 's as little time betwixt Christs word to the man sick of the palsie Arise take up thy bed and walk and his walking Mark 2. 12. for immediately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he took up his bed and went forth before them all It 's like Matthew's conversion is of the same nature Matth. 9. 9. Luke 5. 27 28. in which the Lord gives proof that as some Castles fall at the first shooting of the Canon so there is no standing out nor resisting of Christ for when he adds strength of omnipotency the work of humiliation of conviction of saving faith or repenting are all quickly done as if tilling sowing and harvest were all in one day or one hour 2. We see also that gracious influences are threeded as it were upon gracious influences every beating of the smiths hammer brings forth at once many sparkles of fire and a shour of rain is the falling of millions and hosts of drops of rain at once So in fervent prayer there must be a cluster of gracious influences in every sigh and groan there is an acting of the spirit Rom. 8. 26. The work of the spirit must be maimed imperfect if godly watching 2. Prayer 3 Fervent desire 4. Humble sense of unworthiness 5. Faith on the promise 6. Love to our Father have not every one their several influences of grace When the seven stars arise above the Horizon if six ascend the seventh must also ascend in all which the poor sinner is far below the influences of grace they are sent out as soveraignty thinks fit and here the Lord rains down showrs of grace and a showre is made up of a multitude of drops yet in the general may sinners counter-work and restrain as it were the influences of grace they may resist the word Zech. 7. 12. They made their hearts like an Adamant stone lest they should hear the Law Now the Lord cannot give influences out with the preached word where men turn away their ears from the Law Prov. 28. 9. and Act. 7. 57. they stop their ears Wicked men cannot be avenged on the Spirit in his person or in his several operations of saving grace yet they avenge themselves on the message and break in pieces the chariot that carries the Spirits operations and trample upon his word be in love with the word to count it your heritage Sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb and you as David upon suit shall have influences to be kept from presumptuous sins Psal 19. 7 8 9. compared with v. 13. and Psalm 119. 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts therefore Quicken me in thy righteousness 2. Men can refuse to come and partake of Ordinances and to be Baptized as the Pharisees do Luke 7. 29 30. and so reject the counsel of God and refusing to be among the golden Candlesticks and the Assembly of his Saints comes neer to trampling on the blood of the Covenant doing despite to the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 25 26 29. Rejoyce to stand within Jerusalem Psal 122. for the Church is his vineyard love a room in his Church for it lies neer to the Sun and is under the watering and showres of grace So Christ speaks to the Spirit Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out So there is a commission given that the Spirit in its efficacy blow upon the plants and flowers that grow there the Church is also his garden of red wine which he waters every moment Isa 27. 3. Acts 7. 51. Ye do alway resist the holy Ghost then must they obstruct the gracious actings of the holy Ghost this proves it to be true that Steven said that they resisted the holy Ghost Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of that just one of whom ye are murtherers saith he they who cast down the lodging they injure the indweller the godly prophet is the house and lodging of the holy Ghost 2 Chro. 36. 12. Zedekiah humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. Now the Spirit acted on the Prophets when they spoke 2 Pet. 1. 12. then esteem the feet of the messengers of God to be pleasant upon the mountains for they bring glad tidings of peace and that they only do who have these gifts of the Spirit to pray and believe Rom. 10. 14 15. 4. The speaking against the manifest operations of the Spirit of the Lord by which Christ cast out divels draws so deep as the sin against the holy Ghost Matth. 12. and such are deprived of pardon of faith to lay hold on pardon and such having done despite to the spirit of grace must indite war against the Spirit and all his operations therefore cherish and obey the Spirits actings be willing to be led by him close with the counsels and breathings of the Spirit speak to edification that which ministers grace to the hearers and that cherishes the
sealing of the Spirit Eph. 4. 29 30. So singing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs with making melody in the heart to the Lord is a proclaiming that there is some fulness of the Spirit if the Spirit could speak in the Saints the two native languages of the Spirit would be praying for that is the cry of the Spirit Rom. 8. 15 23 26. and singing praises Eph. 5. 18 19 20. The way to have influences of the Spirit is to pray continually and fervently and to give thanks always for all things unto God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Eph. 5. 20. 5. A wicked hardening of the heart is as if ye would cast water on a weakly smoaking fire of green timber that cannot be a seat an office-house to the Spirit and his actings such are interdited of the spiritual seeing and of the Spirits hearing of the Spirit Rom. 11. 8. God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear to this day It 's dreadful when Prophets preach some stark blind and dead one of the chief and noble operations of the Spirit is illumination and he is a seeing and an enlightning and a hearing spirit 1. Wink not before the shining beams of the Sun yield heartily to the convictions of the Spirit John 16. 7. such as waste away the light of conscience and the convictions of the Spirit are not entrusted again with new actings of the Spirits enlightning 2. Be tender and stand in awe of smaller sins it speaks much of the spirit in David to be smitten with the renting of the lap of Saul's garment 6. Some make themselves uncapable of the actings of the Spirit who seeing great temptations signs and miracles have plenty of means yet remain blind and hard-hearted and dull of hearing Deut. 29. 2 3 4. Heb. 5. 11 12. Joh. 12. 37 38 39 40. if we would improve the actings of the Spirit and delight in the Lords way we should have new influences to walk in his paths Psalm 119. 35. and God teacheth David good judgements for saith he I have believed thy commandments v. 66. So are they-far from new influences who abuse so many plagues and so many deliverances from these plagues as Pharaoh did and crush the motions of a trembling conscience as Felix did a doubt it may be if ever the like acting of a Law-spirit visit such men again 7. All such who remain in the state of unrenewed nature are uncapable of the actings of the Spirit nor does the Spirit lodge in sensual and beastly men Jude v. 19. nor can the world receive the Spirit of truth John 14. 17. no more then the spirit and breathing of a horse can lodge in aâ—pismire It 's true John Baptist was full of the holy Ghost from the womb Luke 1 15. and the Spirit acts him with joy v. 41. when Mary saluted her but John Baptists sin Original was both then pardoned as touching the damnation thereof and subdued as touching the dominion of it Otherwise another spirit acts and works by nature in the sons of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. and these two strong ones can remain and dwell both in one castle then seek translation and to be with Christ if ye would have the Spirit and his influences multitudes no more complain of the want of the influences of the Spirit then a dead mans corps complains of cold of hunger of thirst or of influences of life from the living soul nor complain they of sickness Oh it speaks life to be pained for the waâ— of the Spirit and his influences what wonder that ye cannot perswade a sleeping man that he sleeps 8. Some actings of bitterness wrath clamour anger and malice in the Saints may sadden the Spirit of God darken the evidence of the Spirits sealing unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30 31. It must be a sort of suffering to the Spirit and a casting water on the fire and a deadning to David as touching vigorous and lively operations that he acted adultery and murther which moves him to pray for the restoring to him again the joy of the Lords salvation and to be upholden by the Lords free spirit Psal 51. 12. Can a King dwell even in a palace when it is burning and smoaking about his ears therefore holy actings teaching of sinners praying praising Psalm 51. 13 14. 15. to be kind one to another and tender-hearted to forgive one another as Christ did Eph. 4. 32. and to act as the Spirit and to be holy and heavenly in one walk puts the Spirit in a sweet composed temper to act and breath abundantly in his flowings of love and grace 9. It would be observed that influences of the Spirit are contempered with the actings of grace with which they concur the spirit of adoption acts in the grammer of prayer to cry Abba Father and he comes down to the language of children learning to speak and to say Abba and the Spirit helps our infirmities O it must be great help that the Spirit yields it must be creating of new heavens or removing of mountains or dividing of the sea or something like say some nay the Spirit helps us with a groan his influences come down to sigh and weep and mourn like a dove in a Saint Rom. 8. 26. Cant. 2. 14. Ezech. 7. 16. and if so it 's no wonder that the Spirit breaths not on our wild fire anger Well does the Spirit breathe on Christs holy anger he was angry and grieved Mark 3. 5. and was saddened at the offending of God To be angry at the sin of offenders and yet so as to compassionate the soul of the offender this is to fix a fit seat for the influences of the spirit nor can we receive the influences of that spirit who applieth and intimateth pardon and forgiveness when our anger is such to these who injure us as we cannot forgive them and if anger lodge and take chamber in the bosome and brest of a fool can the Spirit breathe supplications in such a brest when the fountain is troubled and muddy with clay it gives no representation of the face and image to the beholder Psalm 119. 135. Make thy face to shine on thy servant but the soul is a dusty and muddy glasse most unfit to receive the irradiations and beams of such a transcendent sun of glory yea it 's some way fitted v. 136. rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Then a soul mourning for sin is fit to be shined upon by the Lord when the man Christs soul is exceeding sorrowful even to the death Matth. 26. 38. then is his soul fit to receive dartings of the spirit to pray most humbly with his face on the ground v. 39. most believingly O my Father O my Father most fervently with tripple praying 44. more earnestly Luke 22. 44. or more bendedly then
his will of precept Hence all along Psal 119. praying and influences of grace are woven through other ver 25. My soul cleaveth to the dust that is a work of the Lords gracious will of pleasure Quicken me according to thy word that is a duty of praying according to his will of precept 2. His gracious dealing of his will of pleasure is brought in as an argument to ingage the heart to pray for grace to a duty of the holy will of command 73. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandments v. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not wander from thy commandments 3. The acting of a duty according to the gracious will of precept is made an argument why the Lord should bestow saving influences according to his will of pleasure to promote us in duties Psal 119. 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts quicken me in thy righteousness 58. I intreated thy favour with my whole heart be mercifull to me according to thy word v. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheepe seeke thy servant for I doe not forget thy commandements 4. Grace prayed for according to the will of pleasure kindles fire for an ingaged heart to do a duty according to the Lord 's holy will in his word 33. Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keepe it to the end 34. Give me understanding and I shall keepe thy Law Yea I shall observe it with my whole heart That is Lord lend me grace and by that grace I shall repay duty borrowed grace makes the soule a debter for duties 32. I will run the way of thy commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart 5. It 's comfortable for strengthening of faith to lay before the Lord the victory of his grace and the strength of the temptation broken by going on a duty Hence a temptation 23. Princes did sit and speake against me but an influence of grace to do the duty broke the temptation But thy servant did meditate in thy statutes 69. The proud have forged a lie against me A strong temptation but it s broken but I shall keepe thy precepts with my whole heart 81. My soule fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word So all along learn 1. That our free and voluntary trading with grace bringeth home new ships of gold and there is no danger of miscarrying and shipwrack 2. Being once by grace breathed on we are to hold the wheels a going grace puts the believer in a holy circle and running begets more running and the motion ends at us and begins at free grace 3. The nearest purchaser of influences is prayer ver 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments 36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies 4. Grace given is a strong argument to get more grace as gold buyes more gold 5. Though grace begin and prevene us yet the Lord having once given the stock spiritual want comes from spiritual sluggishnesse we are willing to lose the tyde and complain without cause of the seas motion 6. The ordinary chariot and ship that carrieth the influences of grace is the Word of grace David Psal 119. is sick of love with the Word Law Testimonies ver 47. And I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved 72. The law of thy mouth is better to me then thousands of silver and gold 97. O how love I thy law it is my meditation all the day 103. How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter then honey to my mouth ver 11 20 24 46 50 52 54 70 86 92 93 96 111 113 105 159 160 c. and in that Psalm the influences of the spirit go all along in every verse in a practical loving delightful panting lifting of the hands to the Commandments v. 32. I le run the ways of thy commandments 34. Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart 45. I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts 44. I le keep thy law continually 60. I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandments 66. I have believed thy Commandments 74. I have hoped in thy Word 77. Thy Law is my delight 81. My soul fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy Word 83. I forget not thy statutes 87. I forsook not thy precepts 93. I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickned me c. all which hold forth if you would have showrs of influences of grace be in love with the Word and let it dwell plentifully in you for look as influences of vigour and life and heat upon roses flowrs herbs grasse apple-trees vines corn go along with light and shining of the Sun so do the influences of the spirit and the spirit in his lively actings delights to be carried in the chariot of the Word Cant. 4. 11. Thy lips O my soul drop as the honey-comb honey and milk are under thy tongue in regard of the precious promises of the Gospel in the sound ministry of the Church and the savoury influences of the spirit that go along therewith therefore he adds the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon Cant. 7. 9. And the roof of thy mouth is like the best wine for my beloved that goeth down sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak influences of the spirit of grace must go along with speaking such as are ignorant of the Word and loath the precious Gospel and stumble at the Word cannot receive influences of the spirit 7. There is some admirable nearness of the word to influences Psal 119. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee The word in the letter can keep no man from sinning against God For it is 1. common to all and if not received by saith convinces and condemns Nor 2. can the habit of grace in the heart prevent sinning except sinning unto death but not such sinning as David might or could yea or did fall unto adultery and murther of which he was most afraid Nor 3. can the literal memory of the word hinder sinning and yielding to dreadful temptations though it be treasured up in the memory Nor 4. speaks he of the spirit and inward word of the Swenckefieldians Libertines and the like who forsake the rule of faith the word and depend upon wicked inspirations but by the word hidden in the heart he must mean the Word of God and the engraven Law of God Psal 40. 8. Jer. 31. 33. not simply but as it includes the word dwelling in the heart plentifully Coloss 3. 16. loved Psal 116. 97 103. esteemed and prized highly Psal 119. 72 128. and believed 92 42 43. and so seldomeo â—never have any an high esteem or an habitual love and faith and hope in and to the word
but influences to keep from sin go along with that word so hidden in the heart that look as the heavens clouds sun fail not to joyn their influences to the seed of vine-trees roses plants of fig-trees and nature goes along with birds to cherish and to warm eggs for the bringing forth of young birds so in some infallible way by promise God concurs with the so hidden word to produce faith and love and all acts of obedience how much then does it concern these that move the question what shall we doe to fetch the wind and to purchase influences of grace to read hear consider love praise believe and chose the Word as a treasure 8. Overcomed temptations have influences sutable to graces victory Psal 119. 23. Princes also did sit and speak against me but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes v. 83 69 161 141. 9. Felt deliverances from the oppression of man v. 134. sense of the loveliness and excellency of God want not influences v. 68 132 133. 3 As the earth and the things that grow thereon receive the Sun's influences so doth the heart qualified with the habit of grace lodge heavenly influences and the well-tuned string of the Harp and Viol closes sweetly with the smiting of the pulse or hand of the Musician but the mistuned string stricken on makes discord and receives no concord of musick the savoury and gracious heart welcomes the breathings of God when the Spirit can no more act by his influences on a gracelesse spirit then a Musician can play harmoniously on a broken Harp or a mistuned Reed Hence these evils of the heart obstruct the influences of grace 1. Hardness and blindness 2. Vnbelief 3. Deadnesse 4. Security 5. Irreligious prophaneness and Atheisme 6. Vnconstancy 7. Deceitfulnesse 8. Pride 9. Worldly-mindednesse 10. Fiery zeal 11. Vncleanenesse 12. Malice and hatred 13. Worldly sorrow 14. False joy 15. Self-love 16. Wilfull ignorance of the Gospel hatred of Christ 17. Impatient fretting against Providence 18. Disordered thoughts and ignorance of God in Christ 1. Blindness and hardening of the heart and Pharaoh's not setting his heart Exod. 7. 23. on the miracle of turning the water of the river to blood so that the fish in the river dyed and the river stank hinders influences of obedience to let the people go Exod. 8. 1 2 3. Matth. 13. 15. Their eyes have they closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them as if they were afraid for the saving influences of the saving grace of conversion so men keep strong forts and imaginations against God besieging them by the preached Gospel 2 Cor. 10. 5. 6. and will not have their thoughts led captives to the obedience of Christ Whereas softnesse and tendernesse in Josiah 2 Kings 22. 19 20. brings stooping and self-humiliation and receives influences for repenting weeping and renting the cloths before God for what impressions of grace can the stone or rock and such is the heart hardened Ezech. 36. 26. or the Adamant receive Zech. 7. 12 temptations signs and wonders do nothing at all to bring down the heart Deut. 29. 3. keep thy heart in some softnesse and tendernesse and then shall it receive smitings from God for the very renting of the lap of the garment of an enemy the not despising of the cause of a servant whom the master may easily bear down or the not warming of the loyns of the fatherlesse with the fleece of the flock Job 31. 13 20. in David and in Job have abundant influences of grace going along with them and this seems an innocent negative and when such small fins so they appear to men leave an impression of remorse the heart is like melted wax that easily admits a figure and the print of an image of a man or a Lion Influences are some way due to softness of heart as grace to the lowly rain and dew to meadows in the valley Jam. 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Psal 25. 9. 2. As the light of faith leads every thought captive to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5 6. so doth unbelief dull the heart The news of Christ risen again are idle tales to the Apostles Luke 24. 11. Unbelievers are men who cannot be perswaded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospel leaves as little impression on the heart as a ship on the Sea or an Eagle in the Air where the light of faith leaves not a spiritual capacity for receiving the impressions of the Spirit of grace and where unbelief reigns and since unbelief hath conjoyned softnesse and a fainting at the face of great affliction so as the heart is moved as the trees of the wood Isa 7. 2. there is not a seat in it under such softness to receive influences for the noble and high actings of the courage of faith in withstanding Kings and Princes Priests Prophets and People in subduing of Kingdoms and in the believers godly hardening of himself as a wall of brasse and a fenced City against all these yea against death and the grave Jer. 1. 18. Cant. 8. 6 7. Ezech. 3. 8 9. Rom. 8. 35. This is carefully to be observed that the influence of actual grace finds either in the habit of grace or frames and makes in the heart a gracious aptnesse and capacity to receive actual influences sutable to the duties in hand either of believing patient and joyful suffering for the Lord and such like As the Lord in his common influences with the Sun rising and going down the wind blowing the Sea ebbing and flowing straineth not nor forceth the nature of second causes nor draws them as passive lumps to act against the particular inclination of nature but carrieth along the natural active principles of the Sun Wind Sea and such like natural causes so neither doth the Spirit of grace by his actual influences carry along the rational powers of knowing believing willing as meer dead and passive blocks as the Carpenter hewing lifteth an Axe and shaketh and moveth the Saw but the Lord makes the sutable active concurrences of sinlesse nature and of grace stirring in its influences to joyn together and accord friendly connaturally and without jarring or violence done to nature and so carries on the supernatural and gracious actings of obedience And therefore as this point with all getting get wisedom Prov. 4. 5 6. Prov. 2. Incline the ear apply the heart cry lift up the voice for knowledge dig for wisedom as for silver and hid treasures and then look for influences v. 9. then shalt thou understand by way of practise which cannot want influences of grace righteousness and judgement and equity yea every good path And there is much in the walking by faith the light of faith being the star-light and the day-light ordering the motion and beside which no objective light can doe it
comfortable necessity which lies on Christ to confer influences of grace Influences not fundamental not simply necessary Influences of grace for the habit of saving grace and influences for a gift How we may know when we act pray or hear c. from a gift and when we act from a grace Some pray from a meer gift when they mistakingly imagine they pray from the saving habit of grace the mistake is habitual in hypocrites only actual hic nunc in sound Believers Grace sanctifies the gift used in all due and spiritual circumstances but the gift can never fanctifie grace The same word but not the same influences act upon all within the visible Church We are not to rest upon the actings from a gift but watchfully to try when we act from a gift and when we act from a grace Calvin praelect in Jerem. 15. 18. distinguendum inter ipsam doctrinam quae pura fuit inter ipsos homines prophetas nunc autem dum in seipsum descendit propheta fatetur se agitari multis cogitationibus quae carnis infirmitatem redoleant nec careant omni vitio Differences betwixt the influences of grace and these of glory The habit of grace is a permanent disposition The habit of grace is given through the merit and grace of Christ From the habit of grace we perform suitable actings Vital actions flow from supernatural habits The differences of the habit of grace from other habits We are to follow holy resolutions with prayer 2. Godly trembling and 3. Faith The falshood of vowes A strong habit of grace produces easy and connatural and strong acts of grace Actions supernatural and influences suitable are some way due to the habit of grace Sometimes the habit of grace is qualified with heavenly dispositions We should pursue the dispositions of grace when they are added to the habit with spiritual actings We are to stir up the habit of grace thoughâ— deadned The Lord by insusing the habit of grace comes under some necessity to give suitable influences thereunto Divers necessities under which the Lord is to confer influences of grace Christ advocates for the elect yet not converted to bring them in to himself John 17. 6 9 10. The Spirits office puts him under a necessity of giving influences Vses from the Lords necessity of giving gracious influences First to frame doubts about predestination tâ— life and to miss eternall love before we miss inherent saving grace is Satans method Whether the habit of grace may cease in the regenerate from all its operations The habit of grace is not eternal The habit of grace ceaseth not How many acts we may bring out of the habit of grace There is a consenting to the temptation which is a wishing that our lust and Gods Law might both stand and a virtual wishing that the Law of God had never had being Eight evidences that in the regenerate the saving habit of grace never ceaseth from omitting some influences What dispositions spiritual are and how they differ from the habits of grace Get heavenly dispositions and influences follow connaturally Dispositions are not ever alike but various and changeable Evidences that dispositions goe and come Spiritual dispositions are different from the affections There are heaven'y dispositions in the as well as in the affections Bad spiritual dispositions creep on on the children of God There is some acting and life under much deadness in the â—egenerate Many sweet spiritual actings may be under indispositions No agreement betwixt these two champions the flesh and the Spirit It 's fit to go about duties under indispositions Less of sweet real influences and more of moral influences from the word makes obedience the more perfect We can tell the actings of the spirit when they are on and after they are over and gone Differences betwixt spiritual heart-burnings of the love of Christ and literal heat 1. Difference Feeling may be stronger after actings of the spirit are gone 〈◊〉 Difference Spiritual â—arning of heart leaves some impression◠〈◊〉 which literal heat 〈…〉 〈…〉 4. Difference There is sweet leading no violence spiritual in heart-burnings for Christ it s not so in the literaâ— heart 5. Difference The heavenly beat goes along with the Scriptures open and applied not so the literal heat Hence considerable differences betwixt motions of the Spirit and loose Ensiasms Literal heat is all upon the letter and forms not so as the spiritual heat David was Ps 119. and a believer may be under some straitning A true and a false missing What straitning is and whence it is Divers sorts of straitnings Rules to be free of straitning and to get enlargement of spirit Every heaviness is not weakness of faith How far we may undertake obedience upon supposal of grace How dispositions necessarily fetch influences We have not assurance to be delivered from sin hic nunc How we are to rely on God for influences What enlarging of heart David speaks of Psal 119. 32. We cannot engage in our strength or habitual grace to run in the ways of the Lord. Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre c. opened What use we are to make of our inability to run except God enlarge the heart How men naturally complain of sin original We do not so much as by strength of nature we may do and we add to our own lameness and unjustly complain of God for our sinful impotency The Spirit as the Spirit lays no obligation on us but to move in Scriptural duties No violence but from our selves hinders us to believe God loves using of external meanes pro tanto How farre we may act to fetch the wind and to get influences Branches of enlargedness of heart Mr. Leigh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 active eructare evomere tanquam ebrium Metaph. depromere producere Influences on Angels and the glorified ones Many straitned and dead ones reproved Prayer begets heavenly dispositions to pray and heavenâ—y dispositions to pray beget prayer and faith c. Holy acts beget holy acts and holy dispositions beget holy dispositions The Lord so frames his precepts and promises as our actings are suitably required to his influences The differences of the 1 Spiritual state 2 Of the temper 3 Of the condition What Davids present disposition was The doubling of words or sentences noteth certainty 2. Addition of assurance 3. Freeness of affection It 's fit to make an eike to the holiness of influences which the Lord offerâ— to us We may speak to God and profess in prayer the sincerity of our heart to God and the causes why It 's hard to guide well grace and glory so long as sin dwells in us The Lords giving of grace laies bands on him to give more grace and to add new influences to old What a heart the repenting thief and what an heart Hezekiah brought out before the Lord in his dying 2. Property of holy dispositions Dispositions spiritual are seeds of holy actings Zeal
speak at all Ezek. 2. 6. Self must be denied and shamefastness before Kings Psal 119. 46. see Psal 39. 1 2. laid aside Q. What then shall be done to be free of the indisposition of straitning and so to get influences of enlargement of heart Answ 1. Get and entertain large apprehension of God Who is a rock save our God Psal 18. 30 31. Be principled in the broad apprehensions of Christ he is altogether lovely all loves Cant. 5. 16. A touch of him can save 2. Rid marches betwixt the Law and grace some renewed ones must have their by past life and the strict law reconciled otherwise they but walk in the flesh and so live as they imagine in Law bondage and are sick of the old diseases and so weaken their faith Hence straitning Thou art under the Law and having made a bargain with the Law to keep it thou art in the flesh thou canst not speak to a strange King in another land a King of grace since thou hast fled back again to the old prison and if thou speak it is with much straitning and doubting thou art the Lawes man and not Christs 3. Keep near communion with God keep the vessel free of leaking and of under water sin weakens faith and saddens the spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 4. Improve much faith Frequent believing shall come up to full assurance and that makes strong and bold knocking for a Son who hath right to come where his own flesh is within the vail is vigorous the servants knock is weak unbelief knocks faintly Yet mistake not heaviness as if it were unbelief Christ had much heaviness even to death in his suffering but no weaknesse of faith But Matth. 26. these O my Father O my Father as that also my God my God speak strong faith much enlargement in his heaviest case These four being observed influences are near 5. Grow in sonly love as a child to cry Abba Father a word of a child learning to speak Rom. 8. 26. 6. Get and cherish the inward witnessing of the Spirit Rom. 8. 16 17. and the confirmed assurance of justification by faith hence access and boldness Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4. Eph. 3. 16 17 18 19. The third question How far David or a child of God may undertake to run upon the supposal of an enlarged heart Hence these Assert 1. There is an undertaking as if the child of God had influences at his hand Of this nature in Scripture Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart 11. Cast me not away from thy presence 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit 13. Then will I teach sinners thy ways So v. 15. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal 119. 27. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts so shall I talk of thy wondrous works 88. Quicken me after thy loving kindness so shall I keep the testimonies of thy mouth In which he lays it for a ground if God graciously give a new heart he will graciously give influences of grace to teach sinners If the Lord of free grace open the lips he will also give influences to make him shew forth the praises of God not that dispositions of grace doe necessarily determine us to gracious acts or can determine the Lord to bestow influences of grace but the Lords free promise determines him Where he opens one door he opens a second and then a third until his child be in his bosome when he gives one grace he gives another yea because he gives grace he layes holy bands on himself to give more grace the Lord of grace chooses some to savation and gives them to his son and because he chooses them he gives his Son to death for them and because the Lord redeems them by his Son therefore he gives to them strong faith and because he gives to them saving faith therefore he gives to them perseverance and glory and so gives influences of graces in a golden link and chain Rom. 8. 29 30. 2 Thess 2. 13. Acts 13. 48. Eph. 1. 4 5. 1 Pet. 1. 2 3. Assert 2. A believer under the sense of mercy and deliverance is to engage his soul to praise David delivered in the cave Psal 58. 7. I will sing and praise Psal 30. Thou hast turned from me my mourning into dancing v. 12. O Lord my God I will give thanks to thee for ever Psal 116. 8. Thou hast delivered my soul from death 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living out of the sense of the Lords goodness to all Psa 104. 33. I shall sing unto the Lord in my lives or as long as I live Psal 63. 3. Because thy loving kindness is better then life my lips shall praise thee thus will I bless thee while I live Heb. in my lives Assert 3. The man Christ may absolutely undertake Psal 22. 22. I will declare thy name unto thy brethren I will praise thee in the midst of the congregation For he knows perfectly he neither can sin or come short of his vow nor can the Lord withdraw influences of grace from the man Christ but Peter had no assurance that under that particular temptation the Lord should not forsake him The general all the renewed have that the Lord will not suffer his own to be tempted above their strength Peter was obliged to watch and pray under all the particular temptations that could occur and especially under the trial of his suffering Saviour of which he was fore-warned by the mouth of Christ from that Prophecie Zech. 13. 7. I will smite the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered Obj. The faith of believers is to rely upon the promised help of Christ in every temptation Then may the believer pray to be delivered not in the general but in every particular not to be tempted above his strength Answ The promise of preserving the elect and of giving promised perseverance Isa 54. 10. Jer. 31. 25. 32. 40. to them now converted is absolute that the Lord will put his fear in their hearts that they shall never depart from him 2. That his grace shall fortifie them against attrocious sins committed with the full strength of consent and inconsistent with the seed of God and the inbiding of that seed in them with the holy anointing 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. c. 3. v. 9. But there is not any promise in the New Covenant that David and Peter shall be delivered from particular sins hic nunc such as may consist with the habit of grace and the seed of God There faith is to relie upon God and his grace that he shall not lead them into temptation hic nunc in such particular sins not absolutely but conditionally so the Lord in his wisedom and holy soveraignty shall