believe and that believing we might have life through his name 1. The Scriptures of truth are the ground of Faith as they do give a man sufficient ground and warrant to believe whatsoever is contained in them this was the ground of Abrahams faith and of Davids faith remember the word upon which thou hast caused me to hope Psal 119. 49. 2. The Scriptures are the ground of Faith as it is a sure word as we are not to believe any thing that is not contained in Scripture so we need not doubt of any thing that is promised in them they are the faithful sayings of God 3. The Scriptures are the ground of Faith as it is a touchstone to try all doctrines by Isa 8. 20. John 5. 39. 4. They may be said to be the ground of Faith as they hold forth all things necessary to salvation and all things necessary to be believed Again they may be said to be the ground of Faith because in them the Lord doth command us to believe 1 Joh. 3. 23. Joh. 6. 29. Again in the Scriptures there are many solemn invitations to poor sensible sinners to come and take milk and wine and the water of life freely And many precious promises to those that do come with many examples left upon record how well those have sped that did come all these are grounds and encouragements to believe The Springs of Faith how God doth beget it in an unbeliever THere is no natural power in man to produce a cause within its self this great grace of Faith is no fruit of the wisdom of the flesh nor is it the birth of a corrupt will The immediate and sole cause of Faith is the Spirit of God He it is who is greater then the heart who can perswade and draw the heart and change and renew the Spirit There be means appointed by God which he doth ordnarily bless for the production of faith as he hath ordained means for the revelation of Christ so he hath sanctified means to lead the soul unto him to implant Faith 1. God lets the soul see that it is the command of God that he should believe and that faith is the gift of God without which we can do nothing acceptably it is through grace that men believe yet men are to use the means now the great and ordinary means by which God works faith in the hearts of men it is the preaching of the word See Act. 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as were ordained to life believed Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation 2. The preaching of the word doth discover to the soul its extream misery and great need of Christ and makes him say men and brethren what shall I do to be saved 3. It is that which casteth down all the reasonings arguments and disputes of the mind against the conditions of Christ and renders all the terms of Christ upon which he will be taken as most equal fair and resonable 4. It is that which clears the way for the soul against all its fears and unbelieving doubts it layes before the sinner the freeness of Gods mercy the fulness of Christs Redemption the willingness on Christs part to accept of him 5. It is that sets the soul in a patient expectation to lie at the Pool for ever to attend the assemblies of the Saints and to enquire in his Temple till the soul can take a close with Christ by true believing 6 Means to get faith take one promise and charge that upon the heart and if the heart be stubborn and will not yeild then take another if that will not do then take another and lay that home upon the heart and never leave this work till you have gotten some smal measure of Faith 7. Make as much conscience of those commands that require you to believe as you do of those commands that do require you to hear read and meditate and pray Lastly consider for thy encouragement that blessed text Psalm 147. 11. The Lord taketh pleasure in those that hope in his Mercy See Psalm 33. 18. The Impediments Lets and Hinderances of Faith AS the Eunuch said to Philip here is water what hinders me that I may not be baptized so may I say to my self and others here in the Gospel is Christ set out to the life here are arguments fair enough to draw on our souls to Christ what hinders that we do not believe and receive Christ The first impediment to the getting of Faith is gross ignorance whatsoever is contrary to knowledge the same is contrary to Faith the soul must have light for all its motions for the eye to see and the understanding to perceive and for the heart to embrace those ignorances that is a hindrance to faith fals in these three parts 1. They are ignorant of their own sinful condition 2. They are ignorant of Gods just disposition towards them 3. They are ignorant of Christ and all his excellencies what he is God or man or both they know not him in both his natures neither in his Offices Actions Passion Benefits Vertues they understand not how God hath manifested love in Christ to what end he was made man what is in him more then in any other Alas they think not of these things Now how is it possible for the soul to believe or to be perswaded to believe in Christ or to labour for this precious faith which is a stranger to it self to God to Christ 2. A second impediment of Faith is a vain confidence of natural righteousness this was it which kept off many of the Pharisees the text saith that they trusted to their own righteousness they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own rigteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of God Rom. 10. 3 6. 3. A third impediment of faith is the honour of the world how can you believe saith Christ which receive honour one from another John 5. 44. again Mat. 19. 22. He went away sorrowful without faith for he had great earthly possessions John 7. 48. Have any of the Pharisees believed on him Motives to believe or divers Arguments from Jesus Christ himself to perswade us to believe 1. OUR Lord Christ doth lay his command upon us John 14. 1. ye believe in God believe also in me John 6. 29. this is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent 1 John 3. 23. this is his Commandment that we believe on the name of the Son of God even Jesus Christ 2. The second motive is or may be thus consider that Christ plainly saith that he that will not believe shall be damned John 3. 18 36. Excellency prevails much with an ingenious nature and necessity with the worst
Christ and thou shalt be saved Now might not the Jaylor have replyed as many do now in our daies and say I can as well make a world work miracles overturn mountains as believe by mine own power therefore Paul and Silas why bid ye me believe To this I answer though it be true that every commard of God is alike difficult to flesh and blood that a man can indeed as well make a world as make a prayer aright a man may as well subdue an army of men as subdue one lust did not the Lord convey a power into the soul together with the command viz. If God command a man to believe and gives him power to believe the work will soon be done Ezek. 36. The Lord commands to make a new heart now a man is no more able to make a new heart then to make a new world therefore as we said before he promiseth in the same place to give a new heart and in another place it is said mortifie your lusts now this a man cannot do of himself but the same God that commands us to kill our lusts will kill them for us Micah 7. 18 19. He will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea Again God commands us to repenâ— but we are no more able to repent or to shed one tear for sin then a rock is to give out water or we are no more able to repent then to turn the stream or to make a slint flesh till the Lord give us a repenting heart he hath promised to give repentance to his people So that the commands in Scripture doth not shew what the creature can do but what he should do yet not by our own natural power but by his assisting grace to enable us to do what of our selves we cannot do therefore we should pray with Saint Augustine Lord give what thou commandest and then command what thou pleasest To draw towards a conclusion to this point let me acquaint the Reader of what I have observed amongst all sorts of men with whom I have more or less conversed viz. First the Papist both in their writings and discourses cry up and press all people to be doing good works The Arminian his cosen Jerman pleads for the same and that almost if not altogether from the same principle to the same end the new upstart Quakers fals in and closeth with these old errors pressing people to do the thing that is commanded but not as it is commanded so many of our brethren of the Presbyterian party being in and under a spirit of bondage themselves preach the Law before the Gospel and put their hearers to act for life but not from life So also our brethren of the Independant party and those of the Baptist party many of them to my own knowledge do more mind the things they do for God in way of obedience to his commands then they do the principle from which the rule by which and the end to which they do it and when they have done it even these also are apt to lay too great a stress upon it So then the Papist freewiller Quaker Presbyterian Independant Baptist all these preach teach and cry out to all their hearers for a holy conversation nay to come a little nearer home the word of God cals upon us for it our own consciences call for it and check us for our remissness therein nay the Christians with whom we converse expect it from us what remains then but that we be found in the practices of it but let us beware we rest not upon it for as we are not to conclude our justification from any effects of sanctification so we are not to conclude that apprehension of justification to be from God which takes us off the means waies and rules of sanctification the Ranters error springs up in them for want of this distinction In a word to say no more duty is the matter of promise as well as Gods mercy as doth most clearly appear by these Scriptures 1 Cor. 2. 12. Ephes 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. Acts 5. 31. Joh. 8. 32. And our holy conversation is not the cause of our salvation but the effect neither do I hold that there is any free will in man neither do I believe that any man hath or ever since the fall had any will or power of himself without God to do any thing that is good for in him as the Scripture saith we live move and have our being so that in through and by God and Christ we may do all things for he is a Sun and a shield and will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that wait on him Psal 84. 11. Yet God hath given all men enough to leave them without excuse what man is there that knoweth not that if he make use of all the opportunities will power and understanding that God hath given him but he may avoid more evil and do more good then he hath done or doth now do Of Justification and Sanctification how they differ and wherein they agree GOD in Justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ to us in Sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace in us In Justification we read sin pardoned in Sanctification we read sin subdued the one doth free all Believers from the warth of God that they never fall into a state of condemnation the other neither equal in all nor in this life perfect in any but going on and growing up to perfection Again Justification and Sanctification differ thus to wit Justification is the imputing of anothers justice to us to wit Christ Sanctification is the impression of Justice that it may be in us In Justification there is satisfaction of Christ In Sanctification there is the obedience of a Christian Justification is a perfect and absolute undivided act at once Sanctification is a work begun not equal in all but carried on in all by degrees Justification is first Sanctification afterwards consisting in separation from sin filthiness and common pollution Justification and Sanctification are two inseparable companions where one doth dwell the other will lodge and as Election is the proper work of the Father as Eph. 1. 3 4. Redemption of the Son 1 John 2. 1 2. So Sanctification is the proper work of the Holy-Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 11. Now there are four things considerable to shew us wherein we are to keep our Justification and Sanctification distinct the one from the other 1. We are to keep Justification and Sanctification distinct in respect of the subject and matter of this which is not any thing in us or done by us but the personal and spotless righteousness of Jesus Christ made over to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2. It is our duty to keep up our Iustification distinct although it be not accompanied with Sanctification although there be failings in us the Prodigal in Luke 15. came and confessed his sin as a
nature When the Leapers saw that they must either venture their lives or dye they would out into the Camp when the Prodigal saw he must famish abroad or repair home he would then back to his fathers house when the woman with the issue of blood had spent all and grew worse and knew not whither to go or what to do then she comes to Christ now if thou hast not so much ingenuity as to come to and believe in Christ in obedience to his command yet let thy necessity prevail with thee or else the Leaper and Prodigal shall rise up in judgement against thee were we in Adams created innocency then we need not to look after a Saviour but we are fallen but we are broken but we are sold under sin but we are transgressours from the womb but we are by nature the children of disobedience and wrath 3. He doth invite us to come and to believe by the Prophets Isa 55. 1 2 3. He beseecheth us by the Apostles to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5. 20. He cals upon us by his Church and spirit to take of the water of life Revelat. 22. 17. and after all this he waits upon us to be gracious to us Isaiah 30. 18. 4. Our unbelief grieves the very heart of Christ he grieved at their unbelief he complains at our backwardness to believe O fools and slow of heart to believe Nay and he sheds tears because we believe not on him when he came neer the City he wept over it c. 5. Motive Consider there is none who have right to thy soul but God and Christ our souls are Gods workmanship and Christs purchase why then should we not give to God and Christ that which is their own 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. ye are not your own ye are bought with a price God put forth his own power to make thy soul and Christ shed his heart blood to redeem thy soul and wilt thou through unbelief withhold it from him 6. Christ outbids all Merchants for thy soul he outbids the world sin and Satan is there any one of them that presents Redemption unto thee is there any one of them that can procure remission and pardoning mercy for thee is there any one of them that can satisfie the wrath of God for thee which can make thy peace which can present thee righteous before the judgement seat which can settle eternal life upon thee all this can Christ do none of this can they do Behold here is laid before thee life and death life if thou dost believe death if not now chuse you whether what shall I say more by believing we honor God Iohn 3. 33. by believing we come to be established Isa 7. 9. by believing we are kept in perfect peace Isa 26. 3 4. Rom. 5. 1. Our naked cleaving to God in his free promise will carry down all our distempers at once and fill our souls with peace in believing O how can we look so many sweet promises in the face and harbour so many misgivings in our hearts Rom. 9. ult whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed Of the evil of unbelief and the springs of it and the misery that doth attend it VNbelief doth rob the soul of all joy comfort and content Nay further unbelief doth throw reproach upon God Christ and the promises and gives Satan the greatest advantage against us he that lives without Faith lives without comfort joy peace and content by unbelief we add sin unto sin in the highest nature 1 John 5. 10. Unbelief straightens the heart stops the mouth and hinders thankfulness thou shalt be dumb because thou believest not Luke 1. 20. Unbelief is the door that lets in condemnation John 3. 18 30. He that believeth not is condemned Rev. 2. 8. The fearful and unbelieving shall be cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone 1. It is the greatest sin in the world because it is a sin against the greatest love in the world John 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8. It is a sin for which there can be no remedy for asmuch as it is a sin against the only remedy the Sentence of the Law may be repealed by the Gospel but the sins against Gospel remedy there is no appeal it is a sin that makes void and vain all the Covenant of grace turning all the sweetness thereof into bitterness and all the truth of it to a lie 1 John 5. 10. Unbelief binds all our sins upon the soul and so murders the soul it grieves the heart of Christ leaves all our sins upon record leaves us to answer for our selves it is a sin against the greatest love against the only remedy makes void the Doctrine of grace and breeds an indisposition towards all holy duties it is a dishonouring to God a denying of Christ a murderer of the soul a belying of God a denying of Christ and a crowning of Satan it doth without doubt proclaim the Devil a Conqueror and lift him up above Christ himself Judas did sin more by unbelief and despairing then by betraying of Christ In a word doubts fears and discouragements proceed neither from God Christ nor the Spirit of truth but they do proceed First from the Devil he either tempts us to sin and that will cause us to doubt or else he doth tempt us to doubt and that will cause us to sin Secondly they proceed from our own hearts Heb. 3. 12. Thirdly from the lying vanities that we hearken unto Jonah 2. 8. Fourthly from ignorance heedlesness and forgetfulness Fifthly from unskilfulness of the word of righteousness Heb. 5. 12. 7. Sixthly from want of watchfulness Seventhly from building our hopes and comfort upon that which is mutable and uncertain viz. our own personal Sanctification and not upon Christ and our free Justification Eighthly from our own false reasonings making Sense Reason and Feeling the Judge of our spiritual condition Ninthly from our ignorance of the love of Christ and the Covenant of Grace The Characters Marks or Signs of true Faith c. THere are many characters or discoveries of this Faith of the Gospel called the Faith of Gods Elect which worketh by love First the habit of this Faith is infused into the soul by God in regeneration Eph. 2. 8. John 1. 12 13. Secondly this habit so infused is brought to act by the Fathers drawing the soul to Christ Iohn 6. 44. Thirdly faith being thus infused and acted doth chearfully accept of Christ upon his own terms viz. self-denyall bearing the Cross and following Christ Luke 9. 23. Iohn 1. 12. Faith having thus accepted and received Christ begins to taste such sweetness and pleasantness in him that Christ is most pleasant to the soul 1 Pet 2. 3 7. So the soul by degrees comes to be filled with joy and peace in believing Again Faith having thus taken and tasted Christ contends after a fuller perfection even after assurance Col. 2. 2. Heb. 10. 22. 1. True Faith is not only a justifying
a grieving for sin both original and actual arising from an apprehension of displeasing so loving a God 2. Cor. 7. 11. For behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge in all things c. Repentance is not only a turning from evil to good but a hating the evil we turn from and a loving the good we turn to True repentance is a general universal change of the whole man in every part though it be but in part it doth change both heart and life word and work it makes darkness light and bitter sweet and a Leaper an Angel Isa 1. 16 17 18. Wash ye make ye clean there is the change of the heart put away the evil of your doings there is the change of the life See Ezek. 18. 30 31 32. Or repentance is a universal change in the whole man the understanding is turned from darkness to light the will from sinfulservitude to an holy liberty the affections from disorder into order the heart from hardness into softness so the eye of wantoness into an eye of chastity the uncircumcised ear into an obedient ear the hands of bribery into the hands of liberty and the feet of vanity into the waies of purity Repentance for sin is nothing without repentance from sin He that hath repented indeed doth still desire to have his sin purged as well as pardoned repentance is a work that must be timely done or we be utterly undone he that hath truly repented doth now strike most at those sins that he was most prone to before the Jaylor Act. 16. Washed those wounds that his own hands had made but a little before he acts in waies of mercy quite contrary to his former cruelty So did Zacheus Luke 19. So did Paul Acts 9. So did Manasses 2 Chron. 33. 6. True repentance hath these choice companions attending it The first is Faith Mar. 1. 14. Repent ye therefore and believe the Gospel Secondly love to Christ doth alwaies accompany repentance as we may see in Mary Magdalen Luke 7. Thirdly fear of offending God and an holy care to honour him these and the like companions do alwaies accompany true repentance they were born together and they will live together till the soul doth change earth for heaven Conviction goes alwaies with conversion and repentance and forgiveness of sins goes alwaies together so doth sanctification and justification this repentance is a flower that grows not in natures garden Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spot c. Men are not born with repentance in their hearts as they are with tongues in their mouths The Nature of sin The Springs or Rise of sin The ready way to mortifie sin FIrst of the Nature of sin Although sin hath but one nature yet it hath several names in every sin we take from God and add to another thing Sin is the transgression of the Law and not believing and obeying the Gospel sin defiles a man totally it begins at the understanding and so to the will and affections sin robs a man of the Image of God of the presence of God Sin was the first founder of hell and laid the first stone thereof And yet most of this is but the effects of sin the essence must needs be much more abominable Hence sin is called poyson and sinners Serpents Sin is called vanity and sinners dogs Sin is called mire and sinners swine the least sin virtually more or less contains in it the nature of all sin no sooner did one sin set upon Adams heart but he had all sin in him every sin doth put God upon complaining Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving and the soul a mourning many sin by omission and commission at one and the same time and yet know of neither the more there is of the will in the acting of sin the greater the sin is Some sins of omission may exceed some of commission the more deliberation and the weaker temptations any hath and yet sinneth the greater the sin is Many a man is full of sinful corruption but shew it not for want of occasion No sooner did one sin seize upon Adams heart but he had all sin in him How sin creeps up and gets head in us SAtan first tempts us to be strange one to another and then to divide and then to be bitter and jealous and then to bite and devour one another again hasty and froward words begets anger anger being kindled begets wrath wrath seeketh greedily after revenge See Prov. 17. 14. Sin is of an incroaching nature it creeps on the soul by degrees step by step David gave way to his wandring eye and so fell into the sins of murder and adultery again Satan will first draw a soul to be unclean in his thoughts then in his looks then in his words and then in deeds he will first draw a soul to look on the golden wedge and then to love the golden wedge and then to handle the golden wedge and then to gain the golden wedge Again he will draw a soul first to have low thoughts of Scripture and Ordinances and then to sleight Scripture and Ordinances and then with the Ranters and Quakers to cast off Scripture and Ordinances Again if we give way to sinful motion it will be great vain thoughts and vain thoughts will beget idle words and idle words will beget petty oaths Sins of omission do also open the door and make way for sins of commission and again fearfulness and timerousness doth arise from weakness and feebleness and weakness and feebleness doth arise from unbelief or incredulity the beginning of sin is oft by the Devils suggesting evil thoughts evil thoughts cause delight delight consent consent engendereth action action causeth custom so one sin draweth on another grant a little and a great deal will follow Sin is ill in the eye worse in the tongue worser in the heart but worst of all in the life there are three waies how Satan comes into the Soul to cheat it First as a subtile Serpent in evil thoughts Secondly as an Angel of light in lying Prophets and evil spirits Thirdly as a roaring Lyon in Persecutors Of the great danger of small sins OUR Father Adam for eating an Apple one would account it a small matter to eat an Apple Yet what misery did that bring It did slay our Father and deceive our Mother cheated and almost undone all our Brethren defiled our Sisters wounded our children and plundred all our kindred to the skin and left them as poor as Job The sin of Angels was but a small sin only one sin and but a sin in thought too not in action yet for this they were cast out of heaven One would think it but a small sin for David to number the people yet
differ in their defining it what it is yet in the essence or body of it they agree but before I can orderly come to speak of the several definitions that Christians give of it I must acquaint the Reader of the several sorts of love viz. there is a love natural c. and a love sinful c. and there is a love spiritual 1. There is love of pitty as in a Father to a sick and vitious son or one friend to another in misery or if you please there is 2. A natural love planted in the heart of man to love himself his children wealth and acquaintance Now the spiritual love that we shall speak of by and by doth set banks to the stream of natural love that it run not over either to over-love or over-grieve 3. There is a love of complacency So the Father is well pleased with an obedient son the husband with a vertuous wife the School-master with a towardly Scholar 4. There is a love of friendship when a man doth both honour and respect such and such good people and is so beloved of them again 5. There is a love of dependance when we love one upon whom all dependeth namely God whom also we love with a love of complacency and friendship being a full object free from all mixture of evil and altogether supernatural this supernatural love is that I intend to speak to and first of the nature of this love in which I shall take notice of the various judgements of many precious Christians in the definition of it although in the main they all agree 1. One saith it is an holy disposition of the heart arising from faith whereby we cleave to the Lord with a purpose of heart to serve him and to please him in all things 2. Another saith love is a grace wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God in perswading the party of Gods love to it and so the soul comes to love God because he did first love him 1 John 4. 19. 3. Others say it is a supernatural grace flowing from Faith instilled by God himself whereby through the mercy of God we see the great excellency of him and thereby are drawn to love and yield obedience to him 4. Others say it is an holy affection or act of the will or disposition of the heart whereby it cleaves or makes forward to some good that is agreeable to it self 5. Others say it is a spark of heavenly fire that puts all the affections into an holy flame Cant. 1. 7. Tell me O thou whom my soul loveth Isa 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early He that planted the affections of love in our hearts may well call for his own and expect to gather the grapes of his own Vineyard Several sorts or kinds of Love BEsides what hath been spoken in the foregoing head there are several sorts and kinds of love as First there is a fleshly and carnal love which is altogether sinful Secondly there is a naturall ove as in a Parent to a child and one relation to another Thirdly there is a civil love such as one neighbour and friend hath to another Fourthly there is a religious love and that is twofold the one is subordinate to the other viz. First there is our love to God Secondly to his people as they bear his image First to God himself who is the very essence of love he is nothing else but love God is love neither should there be any thing beloved by us but as it either conveys love to us from him or else deaws up our affections to him there is also a love to our enemies required of us which we ought to be found in the practise of in obedience to the command of God and in love and pitty to their poor souls Mat. 5. 44. But that love that I shall treat of is that love spoken to in Scripture which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. Of the springs of Love how it is begotten and encreased in us THE Lord tells us by Paul Rom. 5. 5. That the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost he shews us that he loveth us that were of no worth and whilest we were in our sins that he dyed for us and then he doth shed the sense and feeling thereof abroad in our hearts whereby we come to taste and see how good and gracious the Lord is Psalm 34. 8. 1. Spring of love is this the Lord doth unveil himself a little to the soul whereby it sees his excellency viz. wisdom power riches beauty glory faithfulness and amiableness 2. Spring of love is this the soul having seen something of his excellency and so loves him not only because of that although he be most worthy of love but also because he hath cast his love upon us and so in the second place the soul comes to love Christ because he first loved us 1 John 4. 10 19. as fire begets fire so doth love beget love 3. Spring of love is this after the soul hath seen the worth of Christ and the love of Christ it comes in the next place to see that the love of all relations doth meet in the love of Christ and this doth raise up a Christian to love Christ with a supream love Love is as a Load-stone drawing the affections to love Christ as to one that is aimable and lovely famous and glorious spotless and matchless in his name in his nature in his offices in his graces in his gifts in his discoveries in his appearances in his Ordinances he is full of gravity majesty and mercy and glory he is the chiefest among ten thousand Cant. 5. 10. So the soul loves Christ for that incomparable goodness and natural sweetness that there is in him But others that see it not reject those gracious invitations reject the Kings Supper and think it strange that thou runnest not with him to the same excess of riot 4. Spring of love is this the Lord presents before the soul First his love in giving Christ Secondly the love of Christ in giving himself and this many times takes with a soul and makes it break forth in these or the like expressions O the love of God to sinners to give his son and not a servant his own son and not another his only son and not a second his only begotten son and not an adopted son that he should send and give him when he was not sought by us but freely given by him to us not friends but enemies c. In the next place consider the love of Christ in giving himself O how wonderful was his love to us it was not a love to the fallen Angels but to fallen man Oh what hath he undergone for us O that he that was equal with God should come in the form of a servant That he that the
benefit by it So also we should examine our Faith 2 Cor. 13. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 15. and repentance Heb. 10. 22. James 4. 8. and see whether this to us be attended with the love of God Zach. 12. 10. and of our Brethren 1 Cor. 16. 4. and a fervent praying for a blessing upon this ordinance of God Mat. 26. 26. In thy preparation look much upon thy unworthiness as first the wickedness of thy nature ready to all evil and backward to all that is good Secondly consider thy blindness of mind sleepiness of memory hard heart and stubborn will unholy affections Consider if thou wast cursed in the womb born a child of wrath what art thou now having lived so long in Sin but the child of hell far more then thou wast before Psal 58. 3. Job 20. 11. If for one sin aâ—l the curses of the Law do lie upon thee as Gal. 3. 10. James 2. 10. What is due to thee for all thy sins if single sins deserve death what do thy double and treble sins deserve consider thy rebellious backsliding sins against knowledge conscience covenants purposes promises protestations do not all these deserve double and deeper damnation not knowing of God he will not have mercy upon thee Isa 27. 11. not repenting thou shalt perish Luke 13. 3. not fearing him he will make thy plagues wonderful not believing in him thou shalt be damned John 3. 18. not loving him thou art and shalt be cursed 1 Cor. 16. 22. not being zealous he will spew thee out of his mouth Rev. 3. 16. not being meek thou art an abomination to the Lord Prov. 3. 32. not being mercifull thou shalt have judgement without mercy not eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of God thou hast no life in thee John 6. 53. And eat his flesh and drink his blood thou canst not unless thou dost examine thy self and by Faith discern the Lords body Of the actions of the administrator of this blessed Ordinance FIrst the minister is to take the bread and wine and to separate it from ordinary bread and wine which doth signifie Gods separating Christ from other men to be our alone mediator and that he was by the father set a part to that office and so separated from sinners Exod. 12. 5. Heb. 7. 26. Then he comes to bless and consecrate the bread and wine by the word and prayer which doth signifie Gods sanctifying and furnishing him with all gifts needful for a mediator Then he cometh to break the bread and pour out the wine which doth signifie the passion of Christ with all the torments which he endured for our sins viz. to accomplish our salvation see what he endured consider that he that was equal with God should come in the form of a Servant that he that the heaven of heavens could not contain should be cradled in a manger that the Judge of all flesh should be condemned that the Lord of life should be put to death that he that was his fathers joy should cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me that that head that was crowned with honour should be crowned with thorns that those eyes that were as a flame of fire should be closed up by the darkness of death that that tongue that spake as never man spake should be accused of blasphemie that those hands that swayed the Scepter and feet that were as fine brass should be nailed to the cross and himself hanged on a tree between two thieves and then they pierced his side with a spear his precious blood shed and his righteous soul poured forth unto Death Isa 53. 5 10 12. Heb. 9. 14. Surely as the bread nourisheth not if it remain whole and unbroken so there is no life for us in Christ but in as much as he died for us Then the Minister gives the bread and wine to the receivers which doth signifie that God gave Christ and Christ gave himself to us and in this is Christ Jesus with all his merits offered to all sorts of receivers and that God hath given him unto the faithful receivers to feed their souls unto eternal life John 3. 14 15. 6. 50 51. Of the actions of the receiver or duty in recieving FIrst he is to take the bread and wine presented to him which doth signifie the recieving of Christ into our souls with all his benefits by Faith and that they and only they have benefit by Christ which thus apply Christ to themselves by a true and lively Faith John 1. 12. To as many as did receive him to-them he gave power to become the Sons of God Secondly the communicants are to eat the bread and drink the wine receiving them into their bodies and digesting them 1 Cor. 11. 26. Which doth signifie our uniting to Christ and enjoying of him and so with delight apply him and his mercies to all the necessities of our Souls Spiritually feeding upon him and growing up by him and as God doth bless these elements to preserve and strengthen the body of the receiver so Christ apprehended and received by faith doth nourish our Souls and preserve both body and soul unto eternall life John 6. 50 51. 1 Cor. 10. 3 11 19 17. As the bread passeth through many alterations before it is fit to be eaten as cutting down threshing grinding and the parching heat in baking so the blessed body of Christ was pittifully bruised and rent with drops of blood scourges nayles thorns and with a spear before it could be a fit sacrifice for sin and as bread feeds the body so doth Christ the soul and as bread drives away natural hunger so doth Christ spiritual hunger and as bread is given to the hungry and poor so Christ effectually to the broken in heart and to the contrite Spirit and to the hungry soul if any ask what it is to receive Christ then I answer to accept of him to be thy Priest and Jesus to save thee by his blood and to be thy Prophet and Christ to teach thee by his word and to be thy Prince and Lord to reign in and over thee by his Spirit making thee to learn and live by his Laws now if thou hast thus received Christ thou wilt part with any thing in the world rather then him and so it will make thee to take heed of that which may cause Christ to depart from thee 1. By committing any of thy old sins 2 Pet. 1. 9. 2. By neglecting any of his Services 2 Pet. 1. 10. 3. By not loving all his commandments John 15. 14. 4. By not waiting for his second coming in power and great glory Who they are that may partake of this Ordinance ALL who are of years and sound judgement to discern the Lords body and to examine themselves and are received by consent into the body of the Church of Christ these are to repair to this ordinance for none partake of it worthily but those who profess the true
a controversie with the inhabitants of the Land because there is no knowledge of God in the Land 1 Cor. 15. Some have not the knowledge of God I speak this to your shame Hos 4. 6. My people are destroyed for want of knowledge Prov. 1. 22. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and fools hate knowledge Ephes â— 17. Therefore be ye not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is 2 Tim 3. 15 16. And that from a child thâ—u hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation ver 16. For all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness ver 17. That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works How must we read the Scriptures 1. FIrst endeavour to see the excellency of the Scriptures set a high price upon them and then thou wilt take more delight in them Jer. 6. 10. The word of the Lord is to them a reproach they have no deâ—â—â—ht in them whereas David that did delight in the Lord he did meditate in them day and nihgt Psal 1. 2. 2. Let us endeavour to get the Scriptures written in our hearts as well as in our minds and to that end we should pray constantly and wait diligently for the Spirit of revelation to open the seals of that book 3. Observe these eight rules and read the Scriptures 1. Read them diligently and carefully 2. Read them frequently 3. Read them believingly with an expectation to gain something by reading 4. Compare Scripture with Scripture when you read them compare spiritual things with spiritual 5. Pray meditate and study to find out the spiritual meaning of those Scriptures that be dark and hard 6. Take heed of allowing thy self in any secret sin against or contrary to the Scriptures he that doth so may read long enough and understand nothing 7. Be much in the practice of what thou hast already learned he that is faithfull in a little shall have much more 8. Pray frequently and fervently to the Lord. 1. To help thee to understand what thou readest Mat. 24. 15. and Mat. 13. 5. 2. Believe what thou understandest 3. To apply what thou dost believe 4. To affect and hide in thy heart what thou dost apply 5. To keep and retain in memory what thou dost affect 6. To communicate as opportunity is offered what you keep surely he that thinks himself too good to read and to be ruled by the word will at last be found too bad to be owned by God c. Of Admonition private and publike PRivate admonition is betwixt brother and brother Levit. 19. 17. Mat. 18. 15 16. The other publike by the messengers of the Churches or Officers when the private will not prevail Mat. 18. 17. 1 Tim. 5. 20. The degrees of private admonition are two the former is most private done by one the other is private also but more publike then the first and it is done by two or three at the most whereof he that first admonisheth must be one Matthew 18. 15 16. Now publike admonition is that which is done by the whole Church or the Minister assisted by the Congregation 1 Tim. 5. 20. For if the second warning serve not our Saviour would have the offendor presented to the Church as to the highest court Mat. 18. 17. Who therefore hearing their admonition is to be received notwithstanding his former obstinacy I shall say no more to this in this place because I shall speak more fully to it when I come to speak of the Ordinance of excommunication Of Suspention SUspention is a certain separation of him that will not amend by admonition from some things that are holy in the Church as the use of the Lords Supper or from officiating in any office in the Church till he repent and when he doth he is not by and by to be admitted to all priviledges of the Church but to remain suspended for a time till the fruits of repentance may better appear for if some in the Law Num. 9. 6. for a certain pollution in a lawful duty for burying the dead were suspended from the Passover much more in the Gospel for such obstinacy it is agreeable to the Gospel to execute the sensure of suspention after two admonitions upon a known offence Of Excommunication THE Church of Christ is in Scripture resembled to a natural body wherein are many members united to each other and all to one head by one spirit growing up in unity now as in the natural body there may be many infirmities so also it is in this mystical body sometimes it may be Subject to distempers by the drinking in of untruths sometimes windy humorus of pride high-mindedness c. and so distemper it sometimes a Palsie humor of deadness and benummedness seise upon it sometimes feaverish fits of violent headiness may inflame it but God whose temples it is hath provided for it against such distempers whereof this of excommunication is is one Now if any ask what it is then I answer Answ It is the casting of a stubborn sinner out of the Church and a delivering him unto Satan who being thus disfranchized of all the liberties and deprived of all the benefits and common society of the Church is separated as it were from that protection it once had This ordinance is to be administred to such as are desperately wicked that have nothing profited by the former censures but still continuedin their former wickedness of obstinate and malicious resisting all means graciously used to reclaim them Now the end of this casting out is twofold either respecting the good of the person excommunicated or the rest of the Church 1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 1 20. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus This must be done in wisdom tenderness courage and faithfulness to this end to gain our offending member a gain and to obey God in this command also praying to God for his blessing upon his own ordinance and that he would keep us from those sins that we deal with others for Of assurance of Salvation 1. THE nature of it 2. Whether it be attainable in this life 3. Of the several sorts and degrees of assurance 4. Of the trials of assurance how it may be known 5. To labour and endeavour for it is our duty 6. Of the benefits of it and arguments to perswade us to endeavour to gain it which are five 1. The want of it doth hinder thankfulness 2. Assurance will settle a soul upon Christ 3. Assurance doth sweeten all other blessings to us 4. Assurance doth put us upon our duty be it what it will 5. Assurance doth ease us of the world and mounts the Soul above it
A LITTLE CABINET RICHLY Stored with all sorts of Heavenly Varieties and Soul-reviving Influences Wherein there is a remedy for every Mala-dy viz. Milk for babes and meat for strong men and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of Salvation Being an Abridgement of the Sum and Substance of the true CHRISTIAN Religion Wherein The Cause of our Salvation the Way the Guide the Rule the Evidence the Seals c. and the connection of these points together and Dependancy of them one upon another This I have endeavoured to do orderly exactly methodically with much plainness and clearness By ROBERT PURNELL John 14. 6. I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me John 17. 3. This is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent London Printed by R. W. for Thomas Brewster at the three Bibles at the West end of Pauls 1657. Purnel's Cabinet The EPISTLE Dedicatory To all the Churches congregated according to the order of the Gospel with all that in every place call upon the name of the Lord Iesus viz. to the strangers scattered throughout England Scotland Wales and Ireland that are in love sweetly united or that yet have their Spirits too much imbittered OF all people in the world those are the only happy people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. 15. Whether they are high or low learned or in the worlds account illiterate that are tempted or deserted afflicted or oppressed they are pretious in the account of God though vile and contemptible in the eyes of men c. my brethren for your sakes this piece is come to publike view which is neither deficient in necessaries nor abundant in superfluities the consideration of the shortness of our time and the largness of volumes and the weakness of our memory engaged me in this work Our tender father who knows what is best for us hath gathered up all practical Divinity into ten precepts and our Saviour hath reduced those ten into two and all that we can pray for or against into six heads or petitions my dear friends labour to keep close to God in this loose age spend not your pretious time in complaining on others but endeavour in the use of all means to reform your selves beware of scandals take them not where they are make them not where they are not lay the foundation of mortification deep reserve no lust from the stroke of Jesus Christ take heed of pleasing your selves in a bare formall profession labour to be rooted in Christ and abide in his doctrine let your speech be alway with Grace and a word or two of Christ in every company beware of sleighting or neglecting of any of the ordinances of God or giving those to sinners that belong to Saints consider the truth is the same in all ages only it shines more and more clear from age to age untill that which is perfect is come and that which is imperfect be done away the truth held forth is the same though with more of God and less of man such addition is no innovation but an illustration not new light but new sight a man may not be said to make a new world when he makes a new discovery of the old world despise not the providences of God in the world they are signs of Gods mind if not of his love read your own hearts in the defects of others put your confidence in nothing beneath God himself Can the stone rest without its center the Camelion without air the Salamander without fire or the Fish without water surely they cannot Our center is God all things beneath him are mutable and fleeting and failing viz our best friends may fail us our eyes fail our tongues fail our strength fail our flesh and our heart may fail nay our spirits may fail Ps 143. 7. But the Lord if we trust in him will neither fail nor forsake us Heb 135. In a word he is a Sanctuary to the oppressed he is life indeath health in sickness joy in grief liberty in bondage comfort in despair riches in poverty honour in disgrace heaven in hell I will hold you no longer in the Porch but invite you into the house such as I have I will set before you desiring you to taste of every dish before you spend your judgement of the Feast for what is wanting in the first course may be made up in the second account nothing so pretious as Gods favour nothing so fearfull as his displeasure nothing so hatefull as sin nothing so desirable as grace beware of partial obedience mercenary love pretended zeal legal sorrow and feigned humility for except your rig hteousness exceed that of the Pharises your Sacrifice that of Cain your Confession that of Pharaoh your Fasting that of Ahabs your Weeping that of Sauls your Reformation that of Iebu's your Restitution that of Iudas's your Faith that of Simon-Magus's your Fear and Trembling that of Felix's 〈◊〉 ye may die in your sins Read well this book and mark diligently what variety of heavenly treasure there is comprized in this Cabinet and forget it not for you shall buy much for little cost and read much to thy great gain If I may prevail with thee to to read it once thy Love to it will constrain thee to read it again and again thou shalt find it for order Methodicall for matter Spiritual for brevity Compendious and for use Precious I leave you to him that never forsakes his and remain Your Servant for Christs Sake ROB. PURNELL The Epistle to the Impartial Reader Ingenious Reader IT was in my thoughts if I did ever present any thing to publike view again to have written only of the Kingdom and coming of our Lord Iesus Christ in the glory of his Father attened with the Arch-Angels and all the host of heaven so much spoken of in the Scripture and confirmed by the testimonies of the Prophets Apostles and Angels but since there is a Doctrine sprung up and carried on with a high hand that in part or whole denies the Scriptures of truth to be the word of God and so neglect and slight the Ordinances of God therein contained and so endeavour to undermine the Doctrine of Christ I thought good to make a speedy and safe retreat back again to guard and defend the first principles of Religion that so I might retain that which I had spent many years to obtain and not change a rocky foundation for a sandy foundation and the pure perfect safe and sure ruleof the written word for a supposed or pretended light within who not contenting themselves with those plain and precious rules and that clear light that shines in the word they are only led by their own phantasies daily creating to themselves diversity of new opinions and so break the bonds of love and fall off from the communion of Saints as though it were no Article
not eat lest I die the devil saith ye shall not die upon this the woman did eat and gave to her husband and he did eat and thus through Satans temptations our father and mother rebelled against our God Oh father Adam what hast thou done For through it wast thou that didst sin yet thou art not fallen alone but we all that came of thee as being then in thee we are infected by thee and so are become Satans conquest out of whose hands there is no redemption unless the Lord Jesus Christ come down from heaven and lead captivity captive and open the prison doors and let the prisoners go free all Adams posterity are pertakers of his sin and misery Of Providence IF we look upon Gods providence in some few particulars only we shall wonder seeing Joseph disgraced and imprisoned David persecuted Christ arraigned and condemned Paul accounted one of the worst of men Innocent Naboth stoned true Churches as in Hesters time ready to be swallowed up Many things may fall out by Gods providence contrary to our desires that are not contrary to our good 1. Consider that God takes notice and knoweth all things 2. He upholdeth and governeth and disposeth of the world so as it pleaseth him 3. This providence reacheth to every thing so that the smallest things are governed and upheld by him 4. That of all creatures God hath most care and respect to man 5. We are to consider that the good or evil that befals a bad or good man or woman is not without but by Gods providence 6. That God doth whatsoever pleaseth him in heaven and earth 7. God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means and yet he is free to work without above and against them as he pleaseth 8. As the providence of God doth reach to all creatures in all things so after a more speciall manner he taketh care of his Church and people and disposeth all things to the good thereof God can look sowrly and chide bitterly and strike heavily even when and where he loves dearly Abraham Job Jacob and David Moses Ieremiah Ionah Ioseph Paul and many others met with many things that were contrary to their desires and endeavours that were not contrary to their good God hath a continuall care over all his creatures once made sustaining and directing them with all that belongeth to them and effectually disposeth of them all to good ends Ephes 1. 11. Rom. 11. 36. Ier. 23. 23. Col. 3. 11. Psal 139. 2. 119. 91. Of Mans recovery GOD who at first made man in his own Image and made him Lord of the creation endued him with wisdom knowledge and understanding above all other creatures and made him for so noble an end as to serve him here and reign with him hereafter man soon fell from his blessed state yet was not the love of God obliterated but more abundantly manifested in sending his dear Son to take our nature and yield obedience to his righteous law make satisfaction for our transgression and to bring in an everlasting righteousness and to make proclamation to us that his Father so loved the world that he gave him his only begotten Son that whosoever believed in him should have everlasting life Iohn 3. 16. And whosoever did come to him should in no wise be cast off Iohn 6. 37. Adams righteousness from which he fell was but a righteousness of the creature but the righteousness of Christ is the righteousness of the Creator Adams righteousness was a mutable righteousness that might be lost a righteousness that might be sinned away but the righteousness of Christ is an everlasting righteousness that cannot be sinned away Prov. 8. 18. Dan. 9. 24. Psal 119. 142. Of Vocation or effectuall calling VOcation is Gods acquainting men with his gracious purpose of salvation by Christ and so inviteth them to come unto him Heb. 2. 14. and so revealeth unto them his Covenant of grace Mat. 11. 27. 16. 17. John 14. 21. Psal 25. 14. and so bringeth them out of darkness to light Acts 26. 18. So God becomes in Christ their Father he doth not only outwardly by his word invite but inwardly also and powerfully by his spirit allure and win their hearts to cleave to him inseparably unto salvation Psal 25. 14. 65. 4. Acts 2. 39. Or effectuall calling is the work of Gods spirit in us whereby he doth first convince us of our sins and misery enlightning our minds in the knowledge of Christ and renewing our wills he doth perswade and invite us to embrace Jesus Christ freely tendred to us We read that many were called to the wedding but they made their excuses and most of those that came were compelled to come in Luke 12. 23. the Lord doth force none by violence but draw them by perswasions The Gospel cals many outwardly that after perish eternally Our vocation depends upon Gods election not upon our preparations how was Paul disposed and affected when Christ called him God is for us in predestinating us God is for us in calling us God is for us in justifying us God is for us in glorifying us if God be thus for us who can be against us he hath predestinated us before we were he hath called us when we were averse to him he hath justified us when we were sinners he will glorifie us and cloath us with his own righteousness That we may be neither drawn enticed or forced from our Religion let us build upon a right foundation IT is impossible that any soul should enjoy a firm and setled peace whose confidence towards God is grounded upon conditionall promises or his own best and choicest performances For the wanting in himself the condition of the one and not yeilding a perfect exact universall perpetuall obedience to the other the Law will be condemning Conscience accusing and the heart misgiving and all proclaiming that there is still in all thy duties imperfection something polluted and something defective so that thy most spirituall duties are not wound up to command they are all tainted with disproportion to rule and beleprosed with spots so that it is in vain to expect a bed of rest in the barren wilderness of our own performances for that bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is narrower then that a man can wrap himself in it Oh the spots the blots the blemishes that are to be seen upon the face of our fairest duties so that we may say with the Church Isa 64. 6. all our righteousness are as filthy rags which if rested upon will as certainly undo us and everlastingly destroy us as the greatest evill that can be committed by us the consideration of this was the cause of those words Hos 14. 3. Neither will we say any more to the works of our hands ye are our gods For in thee the fatherless find mercy Jer. 3. 23. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the Hills and from the
4. Consider the nature and cause of justification more particularly viz. Justification is when God meerly of his own grace and free will forgiveth our sins and pronounceth us just and innocent Though Gods Law was by us violated we are absolved from sin and punishment by the grace of God and merits of Christ apprehended by faith and so by him all that believe are justified in all things in which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13. 39. Justification is an act undivided and all at once and so it differs from sanctification which is done by degrees all different eminent acts as justification sanctification renovation are but one act in God I shall close up what I have to say to this thing by desiring the reader seriously to consider these precious Scriptures all speaking to the same thing Rom. 4. 5. Now to him that workoth not but beleiveth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Rom. 11. 6. And if By grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace So having spoken to the nature of justification give me leave also to lay down the usefulness of it as to us and the benefits every beleiver have by it the greatest thing that we can desire next the glory of God is our own salvation and the sweetest thing we can here obtain is the assurance of our salvation In this life we cannot get higher then to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed all godly people shall enjoy a Heaven when they leave this earth some enjoy a Heaven whilst they are here on earth that Christians may enjoy two Heavens let them enquire after diligently seek for and cheerfully embrace this Doctrine of justification freely and only by the grace of God as the cause through Christ as the way the Holy-Ghost as the worker and evidencer 1. This Doctrine is as the foundation and basis of all Christian Religion 2. This Doctrine is the inlet of all spirituall divine peace and consolation 3. This is the root and spring of all Gospel obedience 4. This Doctrine is the great stop and bar to keep out all floods of errour 5. This Doctrine is the main support of a soul under all trialls 6. This is the great Doctrine by which Satans kingdom is undermined and overthrown 7. This is the Doctrine that Satan doth most war against either to pervert or corrupt 8. This Doctrine is the most hardest piece to be learned it being wholly supernaturall in every part of it above the reach of nature and all things in us do oppose it 1. This Doctrine is the foundation and basis of all Christian Religion as doth clearly appear by these severall instances 1. To begin at the bottom our Election is the Election of grace and according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 2. 4 5. 2. Our Vocation is according to his grace 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace given us in Christ before the world began 3. Regeneration is of Gods own will Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth 4. Faith it self is the gift of God Philippians 1. 29. Ephes 2. 28. 5. Justification is freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. and a free gift Rom. 5. 15. 6. Forgiveness of sins is according to the riches of his grace Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace 7. Eternall life is the gift of God Act. 15. 11. But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they Rom. 6. 23. The gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If any ask what is the nature of this free grace I answer grace in its proper notion signifies that free goodness favour or good will whereby God is moved to open the eyes of the blind mind and to let him know the love of God that passeth knowledge If any ask why the Doctrine of the Gospel is called by the name of grace I answer because it was only Gods free good will to bestow it upon those that did most want it If any ask farther why this free grace was ever bestowed at all or why one age or place of the world should receive is rather then another or why God should discover this great misterie was kept secret since the world began to those who were sinners of the Gentiles who served dumb Idols or why God should be found of them that sought him not or be made manifest to those that asked not after him I can give no other answer then that 1 Cor. 1. 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence or that in Mat. 11. 35 26. Even so Father because it seemeth good in thy sight Whoever builds and builds not upon this foundation doth build upon the sand and his house in a storm and tempest will fall Mat. 7. 27. or if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is see 1 Cor. 3. 10 11 12 13 14 15. 2. This Doctrine is the inlet of all spirituall divine peace to the soul There is a vein through which this peace that passeth understanding is conveyed to the soul which the men and women of the world know not Isa 59. 8. The way of peace they know not they have made to themselves crooked paths whosoever goeth therein shall not find peace Rom. 3. 17. the way of peace have they not known in a word no man or woman under heaven can know the way to this peace untill the Lord give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide their feet into the way of peace Luk. 1. 79. No man can receive retain and enjoy this peace of God unless he wait on God at the springs of peace 1. The first spring of peace is faith Rom. 5. 1. being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ faith seeth Christ to be our peace Ephes 2. 14. and from him freely given to us John 14. 27. and the vein through which it runs to the soul is the vein of faith laying hold on and applying of the free grace of God to the soul Rom. 15. 13. 2. The second way of peace is this a man must not only know it where it is and believe it but he must stay himself wholly upon God in the constant expectation of the increase and supply of it Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose heart is stayed on thee 3. The next vein or spring
ever read or from any true Christian hear that any man or woman that was acquainted with and in some good measure established in this Doctrine of grace infected with and overcome by these floods of errour that doth now swarm among us Oh how doth Satan pollute and defile the souls and judgements of men with Christ-dishonouring and soul-undoing opinions viz. That Ordinances of the Gospel are poor carnal low things wholly denying some and slighting the rest saying that the Scriptures are not the Word of God nor the ground of Faith nor the Rule of life nor a true Judge in differences and controversies also denying interpretations and expositions of the Word which is 1. First By God commanded 1 Cor. 14. 1. 2. This was practised by the godly Matth. 1. 23. 3. This is profitable for the unfolding of obscure places Neh. 8. 8. Now these and the like things the Lord in his Word doth call ungodliness because it in part or in whole denies what he hath commanded and opens a door for men to do the contrary Now for a remedy herein let every Christian study pray and enquire for and stand in the grace of God See that blessed place 1 Peter 5. 12. Exhorting and testifying that it is the true grace of God in which ye stand or wherein ye stand Agreeable is this text to the former Rom. 5. 2. By whom we have access by Faith into this grace wherein we stand now their standing in this grace did fence them from all false doctrines and erronious opinions Papists and Arminians which hold a falling away from grace know not the difference between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace their errour is this they teach as a principle of Religion that those that are adopted sanctified and planted into Christ may fall away and perish this Doctrine is contrary to the whole tenor of the Covenant of Grace injurious unto God and uncomfortable unto the Saints it would shake the foundation of Gods election if those that are once sanctified should fall away and perish for those only whom he knew before those only doth he sanctifie now if he hath in mercy drawn us to himself it is a sign he hath loved us from everlasting Jer. 31. 3. our calling and sanctification is according to his purpose Rom. 8. 28 30. 2 Tim. 1. 9. and those that are sanctified justified and called are all first chosen and thence faith is called the Faith of Gods elect Titus 1. And those that are sanctified are said to be chosen unto it Eph. 1. 3 4. so that the foundation of Gods election standeth sure and so our state in Grace is sure also as being built on that foundation which cannot be removed and this doth Christ make good in that speech of his Mat 24. where speaking of the strong delusions which many should be deceived withall he saith that those deceivers should shew forth such signs and wonders that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect if it were possible but that they cannot do the elect cannot perish c. 5. This Doctrine is the main support of a soul under all tryals when all things fail Gods grace and free love doth never fail I will not leave thee nor forsake thee saith the Lord Heb. 13. 5. compared with Joshua 1. 5. 1. Gold and Silver may fail yea all earthly treasures do make themselves wings and flieaway and the labour of the Olive may fail Hab. 3. 17. 2. Our nearest and dearest friends may fail Job 19. 14. 2 Tim. 4. 16. 3. Our eyes may fail Psalm 119. 123. mine eyes fail for thy salvation and for the word of thy righteousness 4. Our tongues may fail Isa 41. 17. 5. Our strength may fail Psal 31. 10. My strength faileth because of mine iniquity 6. Our flesh and our heart may fail us Psal 73. 26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever 7. Our spirits may fail us Psal 143. 7. Hear me speedily my spirit faileth me hide not thy face from me But now saith the Lord although the labour of the Olive may fail and thy nearest and dearest friends fail and thine eyes fail and thy tongue fail thy strength fail and flesh and heart fail yet I will be with thee I will never fail thee as thou mayst see by what I have left written for thy learning in these following Scriptures Josh 1. 5. Josh 21. 45. 23. 14. 1 King 8. 56. Heb. 13. 15. Yea search the whole Scripture and enquire of all the Saints whether I did ever fail any one soul that did put his trust in me thus thou mayest see that a Believer is blessed only in a help without him not within and all his assurance confidence and comfort doth flow to him from the fountain of free-grace through the channel of faith and not of works believing himself happy for what another even Christ hath done for him not for what he hath done or can do the joy of a Believer would alwaies be unspeakable did he alwaies apprehend his happiness in and by Christ alone In a word the pure glorious matchless and spotless righteousness of Christ is a souls righteousness and resting place when the soul finds that he wanders no more from mountain to hill as formerly he did Whoever you are that read these lines search whether you are gotten into this rest if not with all speed get into this resting place for Satan is walking about as a roaring Lyon and though he cannot rob a Christian of his Crown yet he will do what he can to rob him of his comfort and peace to make his life a burden and an hell to him to cause him to spend his daies in sorrow and mourning sighing and complaining in doubting and questioning saying in these or the like words surely I have no interest in Christ my graces are not true my hope is but the hope of an hypocrite my confidence is but presumption and my enjoyments are but delusions Then when a soul is thus beweldred and troubled the Lord many times discovers his free grace and love and that expells ignorance and slayeth the souls enemies and by this love the Lord draweth the soul to himself in love again Gods way of support of a soul in trouble and tryal is a way of love therefore he saith Behold I will allure her and speak comfortably unto her Hos 2. 14. his love is free full and eternal I will saith he love them freely Hos 14. 4. I will draw them with the cords of a man with the bonds of love Hos 11. 4. And so the soul comes to have great joy and pleasure Psal 16. 11. No misery as hunger cold nakedness pain grief or weariness shall much disquiet the soul it will rest fatisfied in God alone in this rest there is tranquility in tranquility contentment in contentment joy in joy variety in variety security in security eternity
that it may seem unto himself an unreasonable thing once to question whether his heart be right or the action good even in those actions wherein he came short both of the matter ground form and end Quest Cannot a natural man do an action that is good Answ A man by nature may do an action that is good for the substance thereof as appears Dan. 4. 27. But he cannot do that which is truly and spiritually good Mat. 7. 18. A corruâ—t tree cannot bring forth good fruit Jer. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye do good that are accustomed to do evil See also Rom. 3. 10. Prov. 15. 8. and 21. 27. Quest Why cannot he do that which is spiritually good 1. Because his person is not accepted Gen. 4. 4. compared with 1 Pet. 2. 5. 2. Because his person is not sanctified so the actions he doth proceed not from a good root viz. Faith and the spirit of sanctification 1 Tim. 1. 5. Jam. 4. 3. 3. Because he doth it not to a good end 1 Cor. 10. 31. Col. 3. 17. Phil 1. 16. Object You have been speaking to us of the principal from which the rule by which and the end to which we should act and of our remissness and defection herein but pray if you can tell us by what power we shall do all these things I find my self altogether unable to do these things and I read in Scripture that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man to direct his steps Jer. 10. 23. And Paul tels us from the Lord that we are not sufficient as of our selves to think so much as one good thought and that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do Answ Strength to perform any duty to exercise any grace to subdue any lusts to resist any temptation to bear any affliction c. Is derived only from Christ viz. 1. Consider that either he hath already enabled thee to do the thing commanded for he hath given a talent or talents 1 Cor. 12. 8 9 10. Rom. 12. 6. compared with Mat. 25. from ver 15. to 28. 2. Consider that many times the Lord conveyes a power together with the command to enable thee to do the thing commanded So when he bid Lazarus to come forth he conveys a power together with the command and he came forth so again in Luk. 5. 24. he commanded the man that was sick of the palsie to take up his bed and walk and conveys a power together with the command whereby ver 25. he did immediately arise took up his bed went to his house and glorified God so again in Ezek. 2. 1 2. And he said unto me Son of man stand upon thy feet and I will speak unto thee and the Spirit entred into me when he spake and set me upon my feet and I heard him that spake unto me c. 3. When the Command lyeth before thee if thou findest no power in thy self already given to thee neither any power conveyed to thee together with the Command then bring the precept to the promise and search what there is in the promise answering to that which the precept requires and so to sue out by prayer the blessing of the promise that we may be enabled to do the duty of the precept Precept it is mans duty to believe Mark 1. 15. Promise the Covenant holds forth believing as a free gift Ephes 2. 8. Prayer sues it out Lord help my unbelief Precept It is mans duty to wash and be clean Isa 1. 16. Promise It is Gods promise to sanctifie and cleanse us Ezek. 36. 25. Prayer It is the business of prayer to sue out this promise wash me and I shall be clean Psa 51. 7. It is mans duty to repent and turn to God Act. 17. 30. The promise holds forth repentance as the gift of God Act. 5. 31 2 Tim. 2. 25. Prayer sues it out turn thou me and I shall be turned Jer. 31. 18. It is required of man as a duty to make him a new heart Ezek. 18. 31. It is Gods promise to give a new heart Ezek. 36. 26. Prayer riseth up sutable to the promise Psal 51. 10 Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me It is mans duty to love God Mat. 22. 37. Promise It is Gods Covenant to circumcise the heart to love him Deut. 30. 6. Prayer works out in the strength thereof that God would direct the heart to love him 2 Thes 3. 5. It is mans duty to fear God Deut. 10. 12. It is Gods promise to put his fear into our hearts Jer. 32. 40. Prayer seeks for it Psal 86 11. Vnite my heart to fear thy name It is mans duty to draw neer to God Jam. 4. 8. It is Christs promise to draw men unto him John 12. 32. Prayer falls in sutable hereunto Can. 1. 4. draw me we will run after thee It is mans duty to walk in Gods Statutes Psal 119. 4. It is Gods promise to enable him so to do Ezek. 36. 27. Prayer works up accordingly Psal 119. 5. O that my waies were directed to keep thy Statutes It is mans duty to be strong in the Lord Ephes 6. 10. It is Gods promise to make him strong Psa 29. 11. Prayer fetcheth strength from him Psal 86. 16. Give thy strength to thy servant It is mans duty not to depart from God Heb. 3. 12. It is Gods promise to his people that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32. 40. Prayer answers hereto O let me not wander from thy commandments Psal 119. 10. I might instance in all or almost every thing required of us that there is a promise left us and to many precepts there is two or three promises the one to enable us the other to reward us and all to encourage us to do our duty Behold all ye whose faces are Sion-ward here is a new and living way paved with promises A way of strength to the upright wherein they may walk from strength to strength till they appear before God in Sion Let no discouraging thoughts concerning the difficulty of the work which is set before you possess your hearts so as to hinder your application to it and cheerfull progress in it A yoak we are commanded to take upon us but such as is made most easie to bear because that God which layeth it upon us hath promised to strengthen supply and support us he who is righteous in commanding is gracious in promising let us be strong in believing and fervent in praying and our work will be our meat our duty our delight and God will let us see that he hath either the Castle of providence or the Ark of a promise or the al-sufficiency of his own grace for a retirement of his people in the greatest storms and tempests Paul and Silas said to the Jaylor Act. 16. 30 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus
uncertain he that understands not the true nature and doctrine of Justification cannot enjoy true stable and constant peace but remains unstable apt to be led away with every wind of Doctrine in the right understanding of this point is treasured up a fountain of soul-reviving consolation Surely by what hath been said it doth most plainly appear that a Christians happiness depends not upon his own doings but on Christ who is of God made unto us Righteousness Sanctification c. who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace See 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 Tim. 1. 9. Heb. 13. 8. Sanctification admits of degrees Justification neither of Rules nor degrees when we cannot apprehend God in a way of Sanctification yet we are then comprehended of God though our actual righteousness be but as menstruous rags and often fail us yet then even then we have the righteousness of Christ presented to us Isa 45. 24. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength their righteousness is of me saith the Lord Isa 54. 17. And this Righteousness as it is ours by imputation so it is perfect and endureth for ever and is the foundation of all blessedness therefore let us rest satisfied with Christs righteousness and add nothing to it let our hearts say with David Psalm 71. 15 16 19 24. I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only and wait upon him in Faith prayer and patience who hath promised that he will be as a dew to Israel and that he shall grow as a Lilly and cast forth his fruit as Lebanon Hosea 14. 6 7. Of Faith the quality object acts seat subject inseparable concomitants and degrees of Justifying Faith the difficulty of believing and the faculty of mistaking about it FAith gives courage and confidence in greatest difficulties and dangers but unbelief raiseth fear where no fear is Psalm 23. 4. Believing is the ready way the safest way the sweetest way the shortest way the only way to a well-grounded assurance now Faith is An habitual frame or a believing disposition of heart whereby man is inclinable to believe whatsoever God hath said in his word Or It is a grace of God whereby the heart and will of a sensible sinner doth take and embrace Jesus Christ as tendred in the Gospel in his person and offices and doth wholly and only rest upon him for pardon of sin and for eternal life Gods eternal decree is the original cause of it Acts 13. 48. The instrumental cause of it is the Word of God Rom. 10. 17. The immediate and singular cause of it is the Spirit of God Gal. 5. 22. That the will or heart of a man should be brought off from it self and to abhor its own condition and sufficiency and to take Christ as God tenders him to be the only rock upon which a man must build his salvation and to be the only Lord to whose Law and will we must resign up our whole soul this ariseth not from natural causes or mans own free will Of the Object of Faith NOW the object of Justifying Faith is the whole Trinity God the Father the ultimate object God the Son the immediate as he is joyntly one with the Father in justifying a sinner John 14. 1. ye believe in God believe also in me now whole Christ is the object of Faith Christ you know is God and man and he is to be considered as a Priest as a Prophet and as a King now God tenders him in all these to sinners and Christ is willing to bestow himself on them as one who can and will assuredly save all that come to him but saith Christ if you would have me to be your Priest to save you you must also be willing to have me to be your Prophet to instruct you and direct you and to be your King and Lord to command you you must resign up your selves to my Scepter and Government for I am a Lord as well as a Saviour and I will be taken as both or else you shall have part in neither I will be taken as Lord and King to command all the heart to dispose all the waies to rule the very thoughts Of the subject of this Faith THE subject of this Faith is a sensible sinner there are two sorts of sinners 1. Some generally corrupted both in their natures and in their lives and they are as unsensible as they are sinful they know not their own vileness these are not the subjects of this precious Faith 2. There are sensible experienced sinners who loath themselves and groan under the burden of their sins I must confess there are several degrees of this sensibleness neither dare I to assume the height and latitude of it unto the terms or horrour and terrour and dejections before he can believe in Christ no though these sharp throws are manifest in some yet let us not make them a rule for all but this be sure that the heart looks not towards Christ until it feel it self to be sinful and lost then and not till then the soul looks out and enquires after a Saviour and anon he finds it written that Christ â—ame not to call the righteous but sinners and that Christ was sent to find that which was lost and that the whole need not a Physitian but the sick and that he is sent to preach liberty to the Captives Of the Seat of Faith THE seat or habitation of Faith is the heart or will or both Rom. 10. 10. with the heart man believeth unto righteousness Acts 8 37. and Philip said if thou believest with all thy heart thou mayst now before Faith takes up his seat in the heart or in order to it 1. There is a looking to Jesus John 19. 37. 2. There is a coming to him Mat. 11. 28. John 6. 37. 3. There is a leaning upon him Cant. 8. 5. 4. There is an embracing of him Cant. 2. 6. 5. There is a taking hold of him John 1. 12. Col. 2. 6. 6. There is a believing in him and that with the heart and there is the seat of Faith Of the ground of Faith THE ground of believing is the word of God the Scriptures of truth he that doth say he doth believe in God having no Scripture ground he doth deceive himself the ground of Faith is without our selves not a light in us or any thing done by us the ground of Faith is God in his word doth offer us Christ and Christ cals us unto him and saith he will in no wise cast us off but if we believe in him we shall have eternal life now this is a word of truth and this word of his is worthy of all acceptation and whatsoever was written aforetime was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope John 20. 31. But these things are written that we might
grace but a sanctifying grace Acts 15. 9. 26. 8. the blood of Christ iâ— a pure blood as well as a precious blood It is a cleansing blood as well as an expiating blood So faith is a grace not only to acquit but also to purge and renew the person where it dwells It is not only an enlightening grace but it is also a conforming grace therefore we read that it doth ingraft us into the similitude of his death and in the fellowship of his sufferings and Resurrection Phil. 3. 10. Now then enquire is there vertue gone from Christ to make thy dark mind seeing thy stubborn judgement yielding thy proud heart humbling thy filthy heart cleansing thy hard heart relenting and mourning thy carnal affections to be heavenly thy sinful soul to be holy Read and well consider that in 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. 2. Where there is true Faith it will cause the party to make a curious narrow impartial diligent search into his own heart and soul to see what humility what self-denyal what sin abhorrency what love to Christ what delight to the Ordinances what zeal for Gods glory what contempt of the world what desires after the society of the Saints what sympathizing with them in their afflictions and if upon this search thou findest any impressions of grace any spiritual work any savouring savory distinguishing operations upon thy heart then the Spirit hath been there and begun to work the grace of Faith in thy heart 3. True Faith doth make the heart humble and lowly Have we pardon of sin why saith Faith the cause of this is Gods love Have we righteousness why saith Faith the cause of this is Christs merits Have we any gift why saith Faith the cause of this is Christs love So that the soul sits down and often saith O Lord O Lord in my self I am nothing nay of my self worse then nothing But what I am I am by grace all that I have is thine my bread my health my life my body my soul all is thine If any love if any mercy if any Christ if any grace if any comfort if any strength if any stedfastness if any performances if any good work if any good word if any good affection if any good thought why all is thine I have nothing but what I have received thou only art the cause I am less then the least of thy mercies and what is thy servant that thou shouldst look on such an one as I am thou madest me and thou boughtest me and thou calledst me and thou justifiest me and thou savest me 4. True Faith doth desire and endeavour after an increase Help my unbelief said the weak believing Father O Lord encrease our Faith said the Disciples there are yet many degrees wanting to faith either thou canst not be perswaded or not fully perswaded or not constantly perswaded but if the Faith be true and living it will bend after a rising 5. True Faith in Christ and a mournful heart for sin alwaies go together Zach. 10 12. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn c. there are two things that Faith will fetch up in the soul the one is love to Christ another is sorrow for sin 6. True Faith is fruitful James 2. 18. See Titus 3. 18. Although works do not cause Faith or Justification yet they do clearly manifest to others whether we have Faith yea or no. To close up this point let me acquaint the Reader that there are spiritual and inward characters of Faith which serve as evidences to him that hath it many of those I have hinted at under this fore-going head Secondly there are outward or more external signs of Faith and they consist in walking so in the sight of men that they may in charity judge of our Faith by our works then there are characters of a strong Faith and also signs of a weak Faith First of a strong Faith Rom. 4. 20. he staggered not at the promise through unbelief Mat. 8. 6 7 8. I have not found so great Faith in Israel Mat. 5. 22. O woman great is thy faith c. So there are characters of a weak Faith One is he will be hasty to be answered and be ready to suspect Gods favour and Christs love if he be not presently answered Another is he will be faint if delayed And so much for the characteâ—s or signs of Faith The benefits of living by Faith a Believers comfort hope joy and confidence should be in God the same at all times THE Lord hath various dispensations of providence as well relating to the outward as to the inward man Sometimes his way is in the whirlwind and sometimes he is in the small still voice and sometimes his foot-steps are in the deep waters and so his way is not known Nah. 1. 3. 1 Kings 19. 12. Psalm 77. 19. His dispensations are many times contrary the one to the other to day perhaps thou enjoyest peace strength riches and honor with health prosperity and many friends and tomorrow all these may be blasted to day God unbosoms himself unto thee and shines forth upon thee but in a moment he withdraws himself As blessed Job David and divers others experienced Now the reason why we should believe hope and rejoyce in God at all times are as followeth 1. Because a Believers happiness depends not upon his own doing but upon Christ who is of God made unto him righteousness sanctification c. who hath saved us and called us not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace c. 1 Cor. 1. 3. 2 Tim 1. 9 2. Because the state of a Believer in Christ as considered in him is a state of perfection he is clean from all sin by the blood of Christ they be removed from us thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back as far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us seventy weeks are determined upon the people to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation and to bring in everlasting righteousness Col. 1. 28. John 17. 23. Heb. 10. 14. 1 John 1. 7. Isaiah 35. 8. 38. 17. Psalm 103. 12. Dan. 9. 24. Ezek. 16. 14. Hereupon the soul begins to rejoyce in God for he hath cloathed me with the garment of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousness Our sins are laid upon Christ and his righteousness is ours hereupon saith God thou art all fair my love there is no spot in thee 3. Reason Why a Believers comfort hope joy and confidence should be the same at all times because that God who hath loved an everlasting love loves thee in his Son thou art not beloved for thy own sake or for any thing in thee but upon the account of the Lord Jesus in whom God is well pleased Believers are never the more just before God for their own integrity nor the
in Christ that binds the strong man hand and foot it is only Faith in Christ that makes a man triumph over sin Satan hell and the world And that stops the issue of blood that makes a man strong in resisting and happy in conquering so that sin alwayes dies most where faith lives most so that we must get up Gospel principles if we would keep up Gospel practices Quere We read in the Bible of many over head and ears in sin and yet at last became great Saints I pray how came those to mortifie their sin Answ We read of their misery and also of their recovery in many Scriptures I will instance in one that speaks the sum of all the rest as to the way how to mortifie sin Tit. 3. 4 5. For we our selves sometimes were foolish disobedient deceived and serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another there is the mysterie but after that the kindness and love of God appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us there is the remedy in a word the consideration of the love and grace of God the Father and the love of God the Son the promises of God and the presence of Christ the example of the Saints and the recompence of reward held forth to us in the Gospel makes a sound Christian to hold on and to hold out resolving to conquer or to dye conquering As a Christian grows up in the assurance of Gods love so he will better heal his strong lusts an heart softned and reconciled to God willingly closeth with the commandment so that the best way to mortifie sin and to amend our lives is to lay hold on the love of God by faith in Christ and so first to get assurance of forgiveness which softens the heart and enlightens the eyes to see that it is only the blood of Christ that purgeth from dead works A man by his own strength cannot prevail against a lust that is to be done only by the blood of Christ into which we are baptized Rom. 6. 3. He that hath the strongest faith hath ever the holiest heart and life sanctification ariseth from justification the Scripture saith Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure in this evidence of self-purifying note these three things First the act performed purifieth Secondly the object about which this act is to be exercised themselves that is their whole man soul and body from all filthiness of flesh and spirit Thirdly the rule or Pattern of this act he purifieth himself as God is pure this is not a word of equality but of resemblance Fourthly the ground or motive inciting to this purifying viz. hope of glory every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure 1 John 3. 2 3. Hope in Christ excites to purity because it conducts us straight to Christ the perfect pattern of all purity Surely it is the appearance of Gods grace to us which works a hope of glory in us and this hope of glory doth purifie these several ensuing waies 1. It puts us upon and helps us in a frequent washing our selves in the fountain opened for sin and uncleaness viz. in the purifying blood of Christ by Faith and hope as instruments applying Christ crucified Zach. 13. 1. Heb 9. 14. Psal 51. 7. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood c. Rom. 3. 25. 2. This works us up to true endeavours in the use of all means to purifie both soul and body person and conversation from all corruption universally both in kind and degree let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness both of flesh and Spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Now hypocrites wash the outside of the platter or cup but inwardly they are full of extortion and excess Mat. 23. 25 26. 3. This grace of God and hope of glory puts the soul upon maintaining a constant spiritual combate by faith and hope and other graces of the Spirit against the flesh Rom. 8. 13. And so by the Spirit mortifies the deeds of the flesh daily crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts Galat. 5. 17 24 25. and this grace of hope as an inward principle works out pollution and corruption as being repugnant thereunto 4. This hope of glory leads the soul to a diligent improvement of the word of God for self-purifying the word hath in it a purifying Faculty John 15. 3. Ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you the word purifies these waies 1. As a lamp discovering the spot Rom. 7. 7. 2. As a star conducting to Christ the fountain of purifying 1 John 2. 1 2. Zach. 13. 1. 3. As a rule according to which we are heedfully to order our conversation Psal 119. 9. 4. As a motive to self-purifying 2 Cor. 7. 1. 5. As an antidote against sin Psal 119. 11. thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Sin in the best Saint and most times in the best actions of Saints 1. THE fairest day hath his clouds and the finest linneng hath its spots the richest jewels their flaws and the sweetest fruit their worms so hath the most precious Christians their failings Davids heart was more often out of tune then his harp 2. Consider what complaints and cryings out there were amongst the most precious Saints being sensible of their sins Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me said Paul Jer 3. 25. We lie down in our shame for we have sinned against the Lord our God both we and our fathers from our youth Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the wickedness of mans heart was great and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually And for the Saints themselves here in all duties there is imperfection something polluted and something defective our most spiritual duties are not wound up to command they are all tainted with disproportion to rule and not only so but our choicest services are be Leoparded with many spots We whilst in this body can stay no more from sinning then the heart from panting and the pulse from beating The Angels are impure in his sight how much more the best of our actions in many things we offend all either offend and fail in the matter or in the ground or in the form or in the end Now our not acting from a pure principle by a pure rule to a pure end or our comming short in any of these may mar the whole action no action is said to be done according to rule in a Gospel administration unless it be attended with these five things 1. All righteous acts must and ought to be done spiritually and heartily with heart and spirit Prov. 23. 26. John 4. 24. 1 Cor. 6. 20. 2. Sincerely as in the sight of God Gen. 17. 1. Psalm 18. 22.
and 66. 18. John 21. 15 16 17. 3. Obediently because God commands it as in Noah Gen. 17. 7. Abraham Heb. 11. 8 17. Psal 40. 8. 4. Universally without reservation or exceptation Psal 119. 6. 5. Constantly perseverance in well doing doth crown the action Psal 1. 2 3. Psal 119. 20. Psal 92. 14 c. And moreor less every man comes short in these five things So that a Saints comfort cannot lye in the duty performed but a Saints comfort lyeth in this viz. Although we carry our selves in our choicest performances very weakly yet the Lord doth carry towards us very sweetly and doth accept of that which we do very kindly although done in much infirmity in a word he doth accept of our performances although accompanied with many infirmities but to close up this head that there is sin in the best Saint consider these Scriptures 1 King 8. 46. For there is no man that sinneth not Eccles 7. 20. For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not c. Jam. 3. 2. For in many things we offend all c. 1 John 1. 8. If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Prov. 20. 9. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin 1 John 1. 10. If we say that we have no sin we make him a lyar and his word is not in us There needs no more proof to prove sin to be in the best Saint and in the best actions of Saints Let us make out after a more perfect righteousness or we perish for ever The universal experience of the best of Gods people in all ages doth evidence that none of them have been without sin in this life not Abraham Gen. 12. 13 19. not Isaac Gen. 26. 7 8. not Jacob Gen. 27. 19 20. not Moses and Aaron Psalm 106. 33. Deut. 32. 50 51. Exod. 32. 2 21. not David Psalm 51. 1. to the tenth verse and 38. 3 4. not Peter Mat. 26. 33 34 35 70. to the end Gal. 2. 11 12 13. not Paul himself Rom. 7. 18 20 23 24 25 c. The difference between the sinning of the Regenerate and the unregenerate COnsider that both the children of God and the children of the Devil sin yet there is a vast difference between the sinning of the one and of the other whereby we may according to Scripture distinguish betwixt the regenerate and unregenerate 1. He that is regenerated and born again committeth not sin nor can sin with a whole will but as it were with a half will an unwilling willingness and a dissenting consent Rom. 7. 15. For that which I do I allow not verse 19. But the evil which I would not that I do Now the unregenerate sins with a full will and with a full consent 2. Sin in a Christian differs from sin in a wicked man thus it is the same for the matter but not for the manner 3. Although there be sin in a godly man as well as in a wicked man yet with this difference the Christian doth constantly maintain war against his sin the other is at peace with it 4. They that are regenerate sin not against Gospel remedy the other doth Now Jesus Christ is the Gospel remedy and their not coming to him looking upon him receiving him and accepting of him for salvation John 1. 11 12 13. Act. 4. 12. John 3. 18 36 and 16. 9 c. This is to sin against Gospel remedy 5. A regenerate man though he have sin and corruption in him yet he doth in some good measure avoid the occasions that should draw this out Job made a Covenant with his eyes that he might not sin against God but the other runs into all actions as the horse into the battle To close up this head a regenerate man although he sin as well as an unregenerate he is not under the raign of sin neither doth he sin habitually neither with the allowance of any bosom sin not only as carnal men do nothing but sin For first he doth stand in the way of sinners and intice others to sin he doth study how he might commit sin and makes a trade of sin sins willingly and pleaseth himself in sin and pleads for sin he is troubled and cannot sleep except he hath done mischief and caused some to fall Prov. 4. 16 c. The very thoughts of sin is pleasant and delightfull to him he will boast at his wickedness and hates the man that doth reprove him for it but this spot is not the spot of Gods people Deut. 32. 5. How many waies the Lord is said to forgive sin Or the various names and expressions of forgiveness 1. FIrst Aaron by a special command from God Lev. 16. 21. Was to lay his haad upon the head of the goat and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgrestions puting them upon the head of the goat and the goat did bare away all their iniquities into the land not inhabited verse 22. 2. The Lord tels us he hath cast all our sins behind his back Isa 38 17. Thou hast cast all my sins saith he behind thy back c. 3. We read that our sins are cast into the bottom of the sea Micah 7. 17. 4. The Lord tels us in his word that our sins are blotted out Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake Isa 44. 22. 5. The Lord tels us our sins are covered Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose sins are covered and transgressions for given 6. The Lord tels us he will remember our sins no more Jer. 31. 34. For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sins no more 7. The Lord saith he will not impute sin to us Rom. 4. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin he will not impute sin that is he will not set sin on our score he will not put sin to our account though sin be in us yet it is not imputed to us 8. The Lord tells us that so far at the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us Psal 103. 12. What shall I say more who is a God like unto him that pardoneth iniquity transgression and sin which comprehends all sin of what nature kind and degree whatsoever unless the unperdonable sin iniquity is that which is done against another man Sin is that which is done against a mans felf and transgression that which is done immediatly against God but all these are pardoned for his own sake Isa 43. 25. Whether sins before conversion ought to be called to mind after conversion SINS before conversion ought to be called to mind but not with complacency of Spirit or stupidity of heart or despondency of mind 1. Not with complacency of Spirit but with bitterness of Spirit and grief and sorrow of
heart Isaiah 6. 5. I am a man of unclean lips saith that humble soul so humble Job cries out of the iniquity of his youth Job 13. 26 c. so humble David sighs it out Psalm 51. 3. My sin is ever before me so those many converts Titus 3. 3. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared 2. Though they are to be called to mind it must not be with stupidity of heart but with a broken and bleeding and a contrite heart in the day of our prosperity we are not to forget our former poverty but to consider that we are not worthy of that calling of that Gospel and of that grace tendred to us in the word 3. It must not be done with despondency of mind neither the truth lyeth between two extreams we must not call them so to mind as to discourage us and make us unwilling to come to Christ c. 1. The first Reason why that people in a converted state should often call to mind the sin and misery they were in before conversion because by so doing we shall be provoked to magnifie and admire the riches of Gods grace none in the world do more admire Gods grace and mercy then those that are most sensible of their own sin and misery See 1 Tim. 1. 13. 2. Reason because this will kindle a great deal of pitty and compassion in our souls towards those that remain yet unconverted Titus 3. 2 3. I Paul and thou Titus were sinful as well as they and did serve divers lusts as well as they let us pitty them and help them out of this state of sin and death Reason 3. Because this will make us more watchful and careful Eph. 5. 8. You were sometimes darkness saith he but now are you light in the Lord walk therefore as children of the light 2 Sam. 7. 18. Who am 10 Lord God said King David and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And Saint Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. remembers himself and leaves it written for others to read that he had been a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious a low meditation for an high Apostle yet profitable to himself and others Whether the Dominion of sin may not be taken away where yet the life of sin remains SIN may live where it doth not reign and dwell where it is not welcom it is true the Scripture doth say they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts but here the Scripture doth not speak of a total subduing of sin as if every lust and corruption should be quite subdued but only this far to give a deadly blow to sin that sin shall not reign nor bear sway in thy soul as it hath done formerly the dominion of sin is taken away but the life and being of it is continued for a little time As Hagar would dwell with Sarah till she beat her out of doors so will sin dwell with grace till death beat it out of doors there shall be some remainders of sin still in the best of Gods servants but sin shall not reign in their mortal bodies sin may live in a Saint and yet the Saint not live in sin Let us now examine in what cases and with what limitations strength of corruption may consist with strength of grace the resolving of this question is of very much use 1. Though sin be strong yet grace may be strong too in thy soul though thy sin be great if thy sorrow be great too it evidenceth thy grace is so also 1 Chro. 23. 12. 2. If you find a strong opposition against your corruptions though you cannot fully subdue sin yet do you strongly oppose it then there is strength of grace in the soul though there be strong corruptions in the body 3. There is strength of grace where there is strong cries to God against thy sins this argues grace and the strength of grace Deut. 22. 25 26 27. 4. There is strength of grace in that man or woman that is resolved in the strength of Christ to conquer his strong sins or die conquering of them our Lord Christ when two things were set before him either to sin or die he chose death rather then sin and by degrees he works his Spouse to the same mind 5. That strength of grace may be consistent with strength of corruptions I might instance in many precious Saints I will mention one for all the rest and that is in Peter who had not only truth and reality but eminency and strength of grace For though temptations and corruptions did sometimes prevail yet he had strong affections towards Christ he did out-strip many of the Disciples 1. He was the man that of all the Disciples wept most bitterly for his sins Mat. 26. 75. 2. Peter was the first that ran to the Sepulchre to see what was become of Jesus John 20. 5. 3. He was the man who hearing that Christ was risen leapt into the Sea for joy John 21. 7. 4. He was the first man that made the first Sermon and first preached the Gospel after the Ascension of Christ Acts 1. 15. 5. He had that love to Christ as strong as death for he suffered death afterwards for Christ but now although in the cases before mentioned strength of grace may be consistent with strength of corruption yet there are other cases wherein they are altogether inconsistent though there may be strong grace and strong corruption in the soul yet the reign of any one corruption in the soul yet the reign of any one corruption is utterly inconsistent with grace and the strength of it See Rom. 6. 12. 7. 23. And when I say there is a consistency between grace and corruption I would be understood of spiritual and inward corruption viz. of hardness of heart Spiritual pride deadness in duties c. For into gross external open acts of sin strong Christians do seldom fall How far a true Christian may be tainted with errour in Judgement and yet at last be restored Sometimes even Gods own children are even overcome with erroneous opinions One whom the Lord had received into favour might erroneously hold himself bound in conscience to the Legal difference of daies and meats under the Gospel Rom. 14. 1. to the 7. The Apostles themselves erroneously deemed Christ should be a worldly King Mark 10. 37. to 41. And this errour was not cured in them though they were eye witnesses of his passion and resurrection Acts 1. 6. And the Church of Galatia erred grosly in the point of Justification mingling Moses with Christ the works of the Law with Faith in Justification Gal. 3. 4 5 c. by which it doth appear that regenerate persons may for a time be insnared in some errours that are gross and dangerous and
heaven of heavens could not contain should be cradled in a Manger and from his cradle to his Cross his whole life was a life of sorrows Oh that the Judge of all flesh should be condemned the Lord of Life put to death that he that was crowned with honour and glory should be crowned with thorns That that face that was white and ruddy should be spit upon by the beastly Jews and that tongue that spake as never man spake should be accused of blasphemy That those hands that swayed the Scepter and feet that were as fine brass should be nailed to the Cross He was tempted by the Devil reviled by the High Priests branded for a Babler Wine-bibber and Sabbath-breaker and Blasphemer all this he suffered for us out of love to us shall we not love him his true love to us will be satisfied with nothing but love again This is another Spring of love Of the Tryals of Love how it may be known WE read 2 Cor. 2. 8. And to prove the sincerity of your love if the Lord will this shall be my work in few words to lay down those spiritual experimental signs of this sincere unfeigned fervent love 1. The first character of this grace of love is this true love will be satisfied with nothing but love again what doth all avail as long as we may not see the Kings face 2. Those whom we love we often think upon our thoughts fasten on them Psalm 139. 17 18. How precious are the thoughts of thee unto me O God how great is the sum of them when I awake I am still with thee So that sleeping or waking his mind runs upon him try thy love of God by this if thou think not often of God thou lovest him not but if thou canst not satisfie thy self with profits pleasures friends and other worldly objects but thou must turn other businesses aside that thou mayest daily think of God then thou lovest him 3. Those whom we love we will not willingly offend no bars are so strong as love Sooner will the servant offend his master the son his father the wife her husband the subject his Protector then him whom he spiritually loves Friendship binds faster then any authority Jonathan will offend his natural Father rather then his spiritual brother David Joseph will offend his mistress rather then his God c. 4. Those whom we love we acquaint with our grievances and lay open our miseries to their bosoms their counsel we ask and from them we look for help 2 Chron. 20. 12. Jehoshaphat being opposed by his enemies to whom comes he to complain to none but to God whom he loved to whom comes Hezekiah 2 Kings 19. 14 15. to complain against Rabshakeh and Sennacherib to none but to God to whom went David to complain of the bitter words of Cush the Benjamite to none but unto God whom he loves Psalm 7. 1. O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me c. 5. Those we love we take any small token kindly from them a pin from a friend is more esteemed then a pound from an enemy 6. Those whom we love we are willing to suffer or endure any thing for Iacob Gen. 29. 20. endured a tedious service for Rachel and it seemed but a few daies to him because he loved her so Pauls love to Christ made him not care for the passionate speeches nor affectionate tears of his friends he loved Christ more then either of them Acts 21. 13. compared with Iohn 21. 15. 7. Those whom we love we can bear any thing that comes from them we can endure their reproofs and their corrections the child can be contented to be struck by the Father that would not not take a blow of another Psalm 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it 8. That love that we bear to the people of God is a sure token of our love to God the image of God is graven in them and they that love God love those images of him that himself hath stamped and the more like they are to God the more they love them But not to love them is delivered as a note of the children of the Devil 1 John 3. 10. He that loveth not his brother is not of God 1 Iohn 4. 7. He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death See 1 Iohn 4. 20. 9. Those that we love we shall be often speaking of and praising them Psalm 47. 6. As he abounded in love to God so he abounded in praising him Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises to our King and see ver 7. What shall I say more doth thy heart stir after Christ art thou sick of love grieved if he be absent glad if present art thou very diligent to obtain the thing beloved love cannot abide delaies but would presently enjoy the thing loved love desires no wages but love again true love will constrain you to please him and put such necessity upon you to obey him that you cannot chuse but do it in some good measure 2 Cor. 5. 14. 10. And lastly with the love of God is alwaies joyned the hatred of sin Revelat. 2. 6. Thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans which I also hate The love of God and the love of sin cannot dwell intensively at the same time in the same heart for the love of the one will prove the hatred of the other Mat. 6. 24. Jam. 4. 4. So love to God casts out servile fear 1 Iohn 4. 18 19. there is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that feareth is not â—â—de perfect in love love casteth out a sinful servile slavish fear whereby we slavishly fear either God or the creature Rom. 8. 15. Mat. 10. 28. this is the fear that true love casts out 1. Is this love of God shed abroad in thine heart by the Holy Ghost hast thou an experimental taste of Gods love Rom. 5. 5. 2. Hath this love of God effectually regenerated and renewed thee by the Spirit Titus 3. 4 5 6. 3. Hath this love of God adopted thee that thou art numbered amongst the sons of God 1 Iohn 3. 1 2. 4. Hath this love of Christ satisfied thee and made thee holy Col. 3. 12. 5. Hath this love of Christ brought thee to live the life of Faith Gal. 2. 20. 6. Doth this love of God and Christ sweetly constrain and even compell thee to be cheaâ—â—ully serviceable to him in thy place and calling 2 Cor. 5. 13 14 15 16. Of the Properties of this true Love 1. WHere there is love to God and faith in Christ it makes the soul long for and earnestly desire the appearing of Christ 2 Tim. 4. 8. There is a Crown of righteousness laid up for all them that love his appearing as when we love any we love their presence It is true sometimes good men are afraid to die
no pleasure in him Again Luke 9. 62. And Jesus said unto him no man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God Surely those that fall off from a true Church of Christ and persevere therein to the end shall hear Christ say to them as in Luke 19. 27. But those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me How dreadful is this sin of falling off First it is sharply threatned of God Proverbs 14. 14. Heb. 10. 38 39. Secondly this sin is severely plagued Matthew 12. 43 44 45. compared with 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. Again See 1 John 2. 19. They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us These were once in the Church but never truly of the Church for then they would have persevered their apostacy therefore doth evidence their hypocrisie false rotten professors will and in all ages hath thus apostatized The wind blows not away the wheat but the chaff c. And so much of the first Ordinance of assembling our selves together Of the Ordinance of preaching who they are that ought to preach the manner how the time when the place where the persons to whom how this gift of preaching may be obtained and whether the Minister may receive mony for preaching how to remember and a rule to try all doctrines by 1. Of the Ordinance of preaching THat preaching and prophesying is a standing Ordinance of God will at large appear if we consider these and the like Scriptures 2 Tim. 4. 2. Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine Mat. 28. 19 20. compared with Mark 16. 15. And he said unto them go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved The business of preaching is to make new creatures and to turn Lions into Lambs the Preacher is but an instrument in the hand of God to make an unbeliever to believe he is Gods workmanship Ephes 2. 10. An ax makes no Artificial thing but by influence from the Artificer neither doth a pen write but by his help that handles it So Preachers and preaching is but instrumental in the hand of the Spirit to make you Christs 2 Cor. 3. 2. They may be only called Ministers by whom the people believe God was mighty by Peter and Paul Gal. 2. 8. Ministers are but the Rams horns but God throws down the wals of Jericho Mens hearts are as the everlasting doors but God opens them as he did Lydia's or else all the preaching will be in vain Who they are that ought to preach the Gospel THose to whom the Lord hath given the Word Psalm 68. 11. The Lord gave the Word and great was the company of those that published it But principally those are to preach open and apply the Scriptures that are set apart by the Church or Churches to that work of the Pastor and Teacher who by the Word of life are to feed the Flock over which they are the over-seers Acts 20. 28. Titus 1. 5. But in the exercise of prophesie such as are not in office in the Church may exercise their gifts to speak unto edification exhortation and comfort after the publick ministry by the Teachers and under their direction and moderation whose duty it is if any thing be obscure to open it if doubtful to clear it if unfound to refute it if imperfect â—o supply what is wanting See 1 Cor. 14. 3 29 30 31. If any say farther how is that exercise proved in the Scripture I answer 1. By the example in the Jewish Church where men though in no office either in Temple or Synagogue had liberty publickly to exercise their gifts as doth clearly appear by the Scriptures Luke 2. 42 46 47. Luke 4. 16 17 18. Acts 8. 4. 11. 19 20 21. chap. 13. 14 15 16. chap. 18. 24 25 26. 2. It will yet farther appear by this commandment of Christ and his Apoâ—â—les Luke 9. 10. Luke 10. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. 1 Cor. 14. 1 5 30 31. 3. It will further appear by the prohibiting of women to teach in the Church hereby liberty being given unto men their husbands or others 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. 4. This will yet more fully appear by those most excellent ends which by these means are to be obtained as 1. The glory of God in the manifestation of his manifold graces See 1 Pet 4. 10 11. 2. That the gifts of the Spirit in men be not quenched 1 Thes 5. 19 20. Quench not the spirit despise not prophesying that is stop not the motions of the spirit in your selves nor restrain the gifts thereof in others 3. For the fitting and tryal of men for the Ministry 4. For the preserving pure the Doctrine of the Gospel which is more indangered if some one or two alone may only be heard and speak Act. 2. 42. 5. For the debating and satisfying of doubts if any do arise Act. 13. 15. 6. For the edifying of the Church and conversion of others always provided 1. That he speak not as one that hath any authority over them but as a fellow member 2. That he have the gift of prophesie to speak as an Oracle of God to edification exhortation and comfort 1 Cor. 14. 3. 3. That he speak not in opposition to nor in any way undervaluing of those that are set apart by the Church as Officers over them for they are called to the greatest and weightiest employment in the world Yea such an employment that would certainly break the backs not only of the best and strongest men but even of the very Angels should not God put under his everlasting arms No labour to that of the mind no travel to that of the soul those that are faithful in the Lords vineyard no doubt find it so and so with Paul often say who is sufficient for these things I have read of Luther that he would often say that if he were again to chuse his calling he would dig or do any thing rather then take upon him the office of a Minister Of the manner how the Preacher is to preach 2 Cor. FOR we are not as many which corrupt 2. 17. the word of God but as of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speak we in Christ 1 Cor. 2. 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of mans wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power Their work is to make dark things plain not plain things dark and obscure It is most observable concerning God the Father who is the great Master-piece of speech when he spake from heaven he makes use of three
all the Attributes of God the justice of God as well as the mercy of God the holiness of God as well as the grace of God which doth teach us piety towards God and Charity towards men according to Scripture rule that doctrine is true 3. That doctrine that doth teach us to bottom upon Christ alone for Salvation and not upon our own works or qualifications that must needs be true 4. That doctrine that tendeth to the informing of the judgement and reforming the heart and conform the life to the whole will of God that doctrine is true and good 5. That doctrine that doth lead out by the footsteps of the Flock to teach us to have respect to all the ordinancesto seek for and to keep all the commands of God that doctrine is true 1 Chron. 28. 8. Of Prayer and Supplication another standing ordinance of the Gospel 1. OF the nature of it what it is 2. Whom we must pray to 3. For whom we are to pray 4. What extraordinary prayer is 5. The necessity of Prayer 6. The posture to be used in Prayer 7. The place where we are to pray 8. The time in which we are to pray 9. Motives to encourage us to pray 10. Means to be used to obtain the Gift of Prayer 11. Hinderances of Prayer 12. Several sorts of prayer never answered 13. How many wayes doth the Lord answer Prayers 1. Of the nature of it what Prayer is Prayer is a speaking to God face to face wherein we speak to him in Faith Humility Sincerity and Fervencie of Spirit it is Jacobs Ladder by which a soul climbs up to Heaven and it is Noahs dove that goeth forth and returns not till it brings an answer of peace Or prayer is a calling upon God alone in the name of Christ by the help of the Holy Ghost or it is the earnest request of an humble and sanctified Heart together with thanksgiving in behalf of our selves and others with assurance to be heard in what we pray for according to the will of God Phil. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 26. Psal 50. 15. Eph. 6. 18. 1 John 5. 14. James 1. 6. Or Prayer is a Familiar speech with God in the name of Christ 1 John 5. 14. Opening the desires of our hearts unto him and a pouring out of the heart before him for the things we need Psal 50. 15. Jer. 33. 3. Lam. 2. 19. Or prayer is a spiritual gift and grace of the holy Ghost teaching us both what to pray for and how to pray enabling us to pour out our souls unto the Lord with sighs that cannot be uttered Psal 62. 8. Rom. 8. 26. Psalm 145. 18. the Lord is nigh to all them that call upon him in truth Heart and tongue must go together word and work lip and life prayer and practice must eccho one to the other it is not the greatness of the voice nor the multitude of words nor the sweetness of the tone nor the studied notions nor the Eloquent expressions but truth in the inward parts that is prevalent with God now the properties of effectual prayer are these 1. That we pray understandingly 1 Cor. 14. 15. I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with Understanding 2. That we pray earnestly and importunately James 5. 16. compared with Luke 11. 8. 3. That we pray constantly Luke 18. 1. Men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint See Luke 21. 36. Watch ye therefore and pray alwayes 4. We should pray in Faith without wavering James 16. 5. In truth without faining Psal 145. 18. Psal 17. 1. 6. We should pray in humility without swelling Luke 18. 13. 7. We should pray in zeal without cooling Jam. 5. 16. 8. We should pray with resolution to use all good means for the obtaining the things we pray for c. The Heart may pray without the tongue with fruit and feeling 1 Sam. 1. 10. But the tongue without the heart is nothing but vain babling Whom we are to pray unto SUrely we are to pray to God alone and to none other for he alone as the great Searcher of all hearts heareth the voice and knoweth the meaning of the Spirit of Prayer Psalm 25. 2. Rom. 8. 27. Jehosaphat oppressed by his enemies to whom goes he to complain to none but unto God 2 Chron. 20. 12. To whom went David to complain of the bitter words of Cush the Benjamite to none but unto God Psalm 7. 1. O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me He alone is able to grant whatsoever we demand Eph. 3. 20. Wherefore seeing he alone hears all prayers heals all Sinners knows all Suiters Jer. 31. 18. 2 Chron. 7. 14. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Psal 44. 21. He alone hath love enough to pity all and power enough to relieve all our wants and necessities to him alone we are to pray and to none other Mat. 11. 28. Thus we must pray only to God in the only name and for the only sake of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ the alone Mediator between God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5. For whom we are to pray FIrst for all men 1 Tim. 2. 1. even our enemies Mat. 5. 44. because they bare the common Image of God Jam. 3. 9. So that we are to pray for all sorts and degrees of men especially publike persons as rulers and such as are in Authority 1 Tim. 2. 2. and for Ministers that watch over our souls Ephes 6. 19. Col. 4. 3. So also we are to pray for our selves us and ours for all things that we want either for soul or body that doth concern our being or well being And if we be not answered at the present or in the same kind that we desire 2 Cor. 12. 9. yet sooner or latter we are sure to receive even above that we are able either to ask or think if we continue with constancy patience and importunity to seek unto him according to his will Luke 11. 5. and 18. 1. 1 John 5. 14. And that we ought to pray for others will yet further appear by this viz. Abraham prayed for Abimelech Gen. 20. 17. Jacob for his sons Gen. 49. Paul for the people and they for him 1 Thes 1. 2. this kind of prayer is called intercession What extraordinary prayer is EXtraordinary prayer is that which is made upon some special occasion or extraordinary accident falling out felt or feared upon a whole Nation City Family or Person by reason whereof our prayers are both longer and ferventer then at other times Psalm 119. 62. Acts 12. 5. Joel 2. 15. Ionah 3. 6. See Ezra 9. Dan. 9. and Nehem. 9. In these times of Fasting or extraordinary praying or both we are most earnestly and fervently to call upon God either for the obtaining of some singular benefit or special favour that we stand in great need of or for the avoiding of some special punishment or notable judgement hanging
over our heads or already fallen upon us Acts 16. 30 31 32. and 14. 23. 2. Chron 20. Ioel 1. 2 12. 16. There are three things to be considered about this extraordinary prayer 1. There is something to be considered before we enter upon it 2. There is something to be considered in this prayer 3. There is something to be considered after this prayer 1. Something to be considered before this extraordinary prayer 1. What our wants are either for soul or body our selves or others 2. What promises we have from God that he will give us such things 3. That we agree together to pray for these things with one tongue and one heart Mat. 18. 19. 4. Let us also for the keeping up our Faith consider what wonderful things prayer hath done it hath healed the sick and raised the dead unloosed chains and unlocked prisons and set the Saints free Act. 12. 5 7 11. 2. There are some things to be considered in prayer and they are four 1. That we call upon God in truth of heart Psal 145. 18. Psal 17. 1. 2. Beware of drilling out too much time in praying long prayers oftentimes deaden others affections it is good to pray brief and often as Christ did Matthew 26. 39 42 44. compared with Mat. 6. 7. 3. When we pray to one in the Trinity let us mind all three Father Son and Holy Ghost and sever them not 4. Let us be very importunate and earnest and servent and that we may do so consider the excellency of the things we ask and the necessity of them Rom. 15. 30. Psal 143. 6. Consider how did Daniel pray in the Lions den the three children in the fiery furnace Jonah in the Whales belly and Jeremiah in the dungeon and our Saviour Christ when he prayed and sweat drops of blood let us endeavour to pray so that he may turn our darkness into light our deadness into life our bondage into liberty and our weakness into strength 3. And lastly there be four things to be considered after prayer 1. Press after what we have prayed for in the use of all the means for the accomplishing or obtaining of those things Prov. 1. 2 4 5. 2. Hearken and listen what the Lord doth say as a man that doth knock at a great mans door he listneth to hear if any body be coming if not he knocks again and again c. 3. Expect and wait patiently for a full answer Psal 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry 4. Learn wisely to distinguish between delayes and denials and not take a delay for a denial Mat. 15. 21. to 29. Christ did delay the woman praying to him but not deny her and at last did give her more then she had asked Surely as prayer is the cry of our hearts to open all our necessities unto God Lam. 2. 19. So it is also the key of the Lords treasury and to obtain the mercies from him that we need so we pray in the name of the Son by the help of the Spirit according to his will with understanding reverence humility and fervency faith love and perseverance Of the necessity of praying SOme men are very apt to say it is of no use to pray unto God seeing he both knoweth what we need either for his glory or our good and hath determined what to bestow upon us but let me tell them that say so that as God hath fore-appointed all necessaries to be given us so hath he also appointed the means whereby they should be brought to pass whereof prayer is a chief means as appears Ezekiel 36. 37. compared with Mat. 7. 7. Prayer is a means to recover our peace and to nourish our communion with our God Dan. 9. Phil. 4. 6 7. John 17. Surely such as have least care and make least conscience of calling upon God have least acquaintance and acceptance with him Psal 14. 4. Prayer is a Key to open the storehouses of all Gods treasury unto us as by knocking we enter into the place we desire to go unto so by prayer we obtain those things we need prayer is as a hook to reach those things that are above our reach and to put by those things that stand in our way in a word it is so necessary as without it the use and the enjoyment of the things we have is unlawful 1 Tim. 4. 5. For as if we take any thing that is our neighbours without asking him leave we are accounted thieves So to take any thing of Gods whose all things are without asking them at his hand is felony Ier. 10. 25. He will pour out his fury upon the families that call not on his Name that is upon those that do not acknowledge the Soveraignty of God by seeking unto him in prayer See Psal 79 6. The Posture or Gesture to be used in prayer VVE should use such holy behaviours and comely gestures of body as are beseeming the Majesty of God with whom we are to deal and in whose presence we are and as becometh so holy an exercise which we have in hand namely such gestures as may best express and increase our reverence humility and fervency as the bowing of the knees Ephes 3. 41. Lifting up of our hands and eyes to heaven Lam. 3. 41. Iohn 17. 1 c. Which yet are not alwayes or absolutely necessary Luke 18. 13. The Publican stood afar off and prayed the main thing is to have the heart lifted up to God Psalm 25. 1. and 143. 8. and the knees of our hearts bowed before the Lord Phil. 2. 10. In a word it is said that Christ looked up to heaven and prayed Paul kneeled down the gesture should be such as doth express the reverence of the heart and that gesture to be used in prayer which doth most quicken and help the duty Some gestures bring dulness and indiposition others makes the body more fit for prayer use that which doth most quicken Of the place where we are to pray Quest WHere must we pray Answ Generally in all places 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up holy hanâ—s without wrath and doubting for Christ is every where present before us Mat. 18. 10 The publike place sometimes is most convenient sometimes the private Mat. 6. 6. And sometimes there is the sudden lifting up of the heart unto God as occasion is without gesture in any place or company Nehem. 2. 4. So then prayer may be either publike or private and in both places either ordinary or extraordinary Acts 6. 4. 1 Tim. 2. 12. Acts 10. 4. Ionah 3. 6. Of the time in which we are to pray THe time in which a Christian is to pray is laid before us 1 Thes 5. 17. pray continually So Luke 21. 36. Watch therefore and pray alwayes Luk. 18. 1. This parable spake he unto them that men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint either suing for mercies or waiting
for answers or rendring praise for mercies received Psal 5. 3. Luk. 2. 37. The motives to encourage us to pray PRayer is a jewel of grace bequeathed by Christ unto us Luke 11. 2. Again it is the hand of Faith the Key of Gods treasury the souls Solicitor the hearts armour-bearer the minds interpreter Mat. 7. 7. Ephes 6. 18. It procureth all blessings preventeth all curses 2 Chron. 7. 14. Further it sanctifieth all creatures that they may do us good 1 Tim. 4. 5. seasoneth all crosses that they can do us no hurt 2 Cor. 12. 18. Lastly it keepeth the heart in humility the life in sobriety strengthneth all graces overcometh all corruptions subdueth all temptations maketh our duties acceptable to God our lives profitable unto men and both life and death comfortable to our selves Act. 9. 11. Ephes 6. 18. Iude 20. Acts 4. 24. What shall I say more for our encouragement to pray unto God but only this consider and that seriously the Lord is never worse but many times better then his word Solomon did only ask in prayer for wisdom 1 King 3. 11 12. And the Lord gave him more wisdom then he did ask and riches and honour to boot Again we read 1 Sam. 1. Hannah prayed but for a son and the Lord gave her a son and a Prophet too for her son Samuel was a great Prophet So again for our encouragement to pray we read Gen. 17. That Abraham prayed saying Oh that Ishmael might live before thee ver 19. And God said Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac and as for Ishmael I will answer thy prayer and make of him a great Nation ver 20. Again we read that Jacob prayed Gen. 28. 19. and said O Lord if thou wilt give me raiment to put on and bread to eat thou shalt be my God and the Lord gave him all that he desired and much more Gen. 32. 10. For with my staff said he came I over this Jordan but now I am so exceedingly encreased in goods that I am become two bands See Gen. 33. 4 5 6. Again we read Mat. 18. 24 26. Of one that was in debt ten thousand talents and the mony being demanded the debtor desired but dayes of paiment and the Lord forgave him the whole debt ver 27. Shall I crave leave to instance only in one more then consider that place Acts 3. 3 4 5 6 7 8. A certain man lame from his mothers womb asked an alms of Peter and Iohn and they gave him a mercy above and beyond what he asked yea a mercy to him worth more then the whole world they healed him of his lameness insomuch that he leaped and rejoyced and praised God ver 8. The means to be used to obtain the gift of prayer FIrst labour to get some true feeling of thy misery for sense of misery breeds desires of mercies Mat. 15. 22. when the soul panteth most the heart prayeth best and increase in knowledge that the head may guide the heart 1 Cor. 14. 15. For what we know is worth the having we will not lose for want of asking Pray for the Spirit of Prayer which helpeth and healeth our infirmities and teacheth us both for manner measure and matter to lay open all our necessities Rom. 8. 26. Luke 11. 13. Of the Lets and hinderances of prayer THe sensuality of the men and women living in pleasure drowning all their desires in delights and their prayers in pleasures 2 Tim. 3. 4. These men are lovers of pleasure more then lovers of God and therefore pray not to him Another hinderance is that state of stupidity of worldlings that think they have no need of praying but of carking and caring toyling and moyling in the world Luke 12. 17 18. Phil. 3. 19. Who mind only earthly things Again roving imaginations inordinate affections dulness of spirit weakness of Faith coldness in feeling faintness in asking weariness in waiting too much passion in our own matters and too little compassion in other mens miseries Mar. 9. 24. Isa 38. 13 14. Several sorts of Prayer never answered 1. HE that prayeth and yet regardeth iniquity in his heart the Lord will not hear his prayer Psal 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my Prayer 2. He that prayeth and yet hateth to be reformed drawing neer with the lips but having his heart far from him Isa 29. 13. 3. Those that pray and yet turn their â—ars from his precepts he turneth away his ears from their prayers Prov. 28. 9. 4 Those that pray and yet continue in unbelief their prayers shall not be answered Jam. 1. 7. letnot that man so much as think he shall receive any thing from the Lord. 5. Those that pray and yet continue in senseless impiety so that the cry of our sins unrepented of drowns the voice of their prayers Zech. 7. 13. 6. Those that would neither hear nor answer God when he called and cried unto them see Prov. 1. 24. 28. Mich. 3. 4. 7. When we either cause or suffer the afflicted to cry without hearing the Lord hearing us cry in our afflictions without helping Gen. 42. 22. How many wayes doth the Lord answer the Prayers of his people 1. HE doth answer many times in giving the very thing we ask So Solomon did ask wisdom and the Lord gave it So Hanna prayed for a Son and the Lord gave her a Son So also Acts 10. 30 31. Dan. 9. 19 20 21. Acts 12. 13 14. 2. The Lord doth answer the prayers of his people in giving them faith to believe and patience to wait the Lords leasure till he doth give the mercy prayed for So Heb. 5. 7. 2 Cor. 12. 8 9 10 11 12. 3. The Lord doth many times answer our prayers although he doth not give us the very thing we ask but a better in the room of it Gen. 17. 18 19. Psalm 35. 13. 4. He doth answer our prayers many times in giving as full Satisfaction to the soul in the absence of the mercy prayed for as if it had received it Hab. 2. 3. Another stanning Ordinance of the Gospel is thanksfiving or Singing of Psalms and Spiritual Songs making melody to the Lord in our Hearts PRaise or thanksgiving is a reverent acknowledgement of his mercies the heart being cheared with some taste of his goodness acknowledgeth all to come from his mercies goodness wisdom and power which makes the Soul as in Psal 32. 11. to rejoice in the Lord and to shout for joy Psal 107. 8 15 21 31. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men This is to be done with the Spirit and with understanding 1 Cor. 14. 15. As prayer and petition ariseth from the feeling of our miseries so doth praise from feeling of Gods mercy petition beggeth what we want and praise acknowledgeth what and wheuce we have it Rev. 15.
3. 1 Chron. 29. 12. 1. This puts the Soul upon speaking good of his name to others Psal 40. 9 10. 2. It puts the Soul upon resolving to bestow all for his honour and service 1 Chron. 29. 2 3. This praising of God must be with a single not with a double heart Psal 145. 18. This must be done in the best manner suting his several properties with their due Praises according to the nature of the present blessing Exodus 15. 2 3. Psalm 144. 1 2. This praise must be continually as long as we live as long as his mercy endureth and our lifelasteth Psal 146. 2. 1 Thes 5. 18. It is a good comely and pleasant thing to praise the Lord Psal 147. 1. It is his will thus to be honored 1 Thes 5. 18. It is a duty of Saints and Angels both here and hereafter Luke 2. 13 14. It fits the heart for other graces and provokes the Lord to fresh mercies That we may set about this work in good earnest dwell much upon these things following 1. Seriously consider what great things God hath done for us 1 Sam 12. 24. 2. Rest content with thy allowance and estate wherein he hath set thee Phil. 4. 11. 3. Often compare thy estate with others of Gods Saints who want many things that we enjoy and feel many Sorrows which we fear not Psal 147. 20. 4. Be faithful in all talents and fruitfull in all graces and this will be a great means to make us praise God for all his mercies Mat. 25. 13. Phil. 1. 11. That Singing of Psalms Hymns and spiritual Songs is a Gospel-command which ought to be performed unto the Lord and practised in and by the Church of Christ and by every particular believer as occasion requires by singing I understand a lifting up of the voice with joy see 1 Chron. 15. 16. Isa 51. 3. 52. 8 9. and by singing of Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs a praising of God by lifting up of the voice Psal 51. 14. Psal 8P 1. Psal 105. 2 3. By Psalms I understand the Psalms of David or such as are contained in the book of Psalms By Hymns I understand Songs of praise unto God Mat. 26. 30. Mark 14. 26. Col. 3. 16. By spiritual Songs I understand such songs the matter whereof is divine and Spiritual and heavenly Rev. 15. 3. these spiritual Songs are mentioned also in Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. and were framed at first by the immediate motion and inspiration of the Spirit of God upon some special and extraordinary occasion that singing is a Gospel-command or one principal part of Evangelical Gospel worship is proved from Pauls injunction thereof unto the Churches Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. James likewise doth urge the practise of it by way of command Jam. 5. 13. and we have the example also of our blessed Saviour and his Apostles Mat. 26. 30. Mar. 14. 26. and of the Apostles Paul and Silas Acts 16. 25. That it ought to be practised in the Church I mean the Assembly of the Saints is evident from that Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. Where the Apostle exhorts the Church of Ephesus to speak to themselves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs and the Church at Coloss that they teach and admonish one another in Psalms Himns and spiritual Songs singing with grace in their hearts unto the Lord which were altogether impossible to be done if this ordinance or command of the Lord Jesus was not to be practised in the Church and I find the Prophet David exciting and stirring up the Saints to the practise of this so heavenly an exercise Psal 30. 4. Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness and Psalm 145. 5. Let the Saints be joyful in glory let them sing aloud upon their beds and withall I find several Gospel prophecies which seem to point out the mutual and joint performance of this duty as â—sa 52. 8. thy watch men shall lift up the voice with the voice together shall they sing and Psal 132. 16. I will also cloath her priests with Salvation and her Saints shall shout aloud for joy and it was prophecied of our Saviour Christ saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee Heb. 2. 12. Isa 35. 10. Jer. 31. 12. therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Sion and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord c. That it ought to be practised by every believer as occasion requires and as the Spirit is drawn forth thereunto is very evident from Jam. 5. 13. 1 Cor. 14. 15. That the Psalms of David ought to be sung will appear by these reasons 1. Because I find no other Psalms mentioned in the Scriptures then the Psalms of David and such as are contained in that book of Psalms 2. Because where there is mention of Psalms in the new Testament either by Christ or his Apostles I find that they refer or relate to the Psalms of David or that book of Psalms as may be collected from these among other Scriptures Luke 20. 42. Luke 24. 44. Acts 1. 20. Acts 13. 33 35. 3. Because I find contained in the Book of Psalms variety of excellent spiritual and heavenly matter which upon all occasions may draw forth the souls of the Saints in this way of a holy rejoycing before the Lord. That our Singing ought to be performed with a cheerfull heart and that they only ought to sing whose hearts the Lord hath made glad the Scriptures do evidently declare It s said in 2 Chron 29. 30. That the Levites sang praises with gladness Jer. 31. 7. Sing with gladness for Jacob Isa 65. 14. Behold my Servants shall sing for joy of heart And it is the express rule of the Apostle James Is any merry let him sing Psalms How shall we sing the Lords Song in a strange Land said the captive Jews who were required to sing when they were weeping by the rivers of Babylon and their Spirits overwhelmed with grief Psal 137. 1 2 3 4. That our singing ought to be with grace in the heart is evident from Col. 3. 16. that is I conceive either with a heart full of the sense of Gods pardoning and justifying grace or as it is regenerated renewed and Sanctified by the spirit of grace this is the root of all true Spiritual and heavenly rejoycing and this hath made the Saints to sing aloud for joy Psal 71. 23. my lips shall greatly rejoyce when I sing unto thee Psal 145. 7. Isa 12. 2. 35. 2. And lastly that our singing ought to be performed with the spirit and understanding is very clear from 1 Cor. 14. 15. I will sing with the Spirit and I will sing with understanding also our singing as all other religious actions and services will be very unpleasing and unacceptable unto God if they be not carried on in the
strength of the Spirit that is if they be not purely believingly and affectionately and understandingly performed Some objections I have met with as to the manner of the performance of this duty Obj. 1. But if it be granted that Psalms c. are to be sung what warrant have we to sing them in meeter and if you have no warrant in the word for such a practise then is it a meer tradition and invention of men nothing ought to be practised in the worship of God but what is warranted by the word of God Answ I answer First that if the Psalms as they are pen'd and recorded in the book of Psalms can be sung so as the Church may be edified and confusion avoided I should judge it an exercise very suitable to the mind of God wherein my spirit would very freely concur provided that such Psalms be sung which contain matter of praise unto God I have been hitherto of opinion that the Church ought to sing Psalms in such a way as they can be sung by them which hitherto hath been found to be in the way of meeter provided that the putting of them into meeter doth answer but not obscure and destroy the Sense and mind of the Holy-Ghost as they are left upon record unto us Now lest the pleasantness of the voice or tune should more affect the ear then the Spirituality and soundness of the matter the heart the Apostle doth caution them that they so sing as that they make melody in their hearts unto the Lord that their hearts be affected and ravished as it were with that which their tongues do utter before the Lord this is that singing with grace in our hearts Col. 3. 16. If we are offended with meeter because there will be some variation or change of words from what they are in the Psalms upon record though they agree never so much with the sense of the Spirit of God in them then may we also be offended with our Bibles and lay them aside because one Bible differs from another very much in the translation as we may find if we compare one reading with another and yet duly weighed and considered the sense is the same and the mind of the Holy-Ghost may be understood in either Ob. But singing of Psalms and Hymns must be by an immediate gift of the Spirit as may be gathered from 1 Cor. 14. 26 c. to sing a Psalm or hymn already penned savoureth too much of formality and customariness which ought to be avoided in the Church of God Answ That in 1 Cor. 14. is a reprehension of some disorders amongst them in the worship of God and proves nothing at all that the singing of a Psalm or hymn must be by an immediate gift of the Spirit extemporary and without forethought or premeditation at all How is it then brethren when you come together every one of you hath a Psalm hath a Doctrine c. One having made choice of a Psalm he would sing another he would declare a Doctrine and that at the same time in much confusion and disorder to the disturbance of the Churches peace therefore he reprehends them for so doing and cautions them also that all things be done to edifying but we must be sure the Psalm or Hymn for the matter is sutable to the state and condition of the Church and that there be a sutableness in our spirits to utter it before the Lord c. Of the Ordinance of Baptism another standing Ordinance of the Gospel THat Baptism with water is an Ordinance still in force is so plain and clearly held forth in the Scriptures that I hear none deny it unless it be the erroneous Quaker and the voluptuous Ranter together with a few new upstart wantons that cast Gods Ordinances behind their backs I shall reduce all I have to say to this Ordinance of God to these two heads 1. We shall speak something to the essence of this Ordinance 2. To the exercise of it 1. To the essence of it the Ordinances of the Gospel whereof this of Baptism is one doth not differ from the Ordinances of the Old Testament in respect of the Author which is the same God the substance Christ the receivers the people of God which are in both the same but of continuance evidence and easie performance and efficacy in all these the Ordinances of the New Testament have the greater preheminence 2 Cor. 3. 9. This Ordinance of Baptism was brought into the Church at the command of God Iohn 1. 33. by the Ministry of Iohn therefore called his Baptist Mat. 3. 1. afterwards this Ordinance was sanctified and confirmed by our Saviour Christ himself being Baptized by John Mat. 3. 13. and after all this he gave commission to his Apostles and Ministers to continue the same in his Church unto the end Mat. 28. 18. Mark 16. 15 16. That the washing of the body by water is essential to this Ordinance will appear Ephes 5. 26. and that the party be Baptized in the name of the Father Son and Holy-Ghost Mat. 28. 19. 2. The exercise of Baptism is abundantly held forth to us in the Scriptures of truth where we have example one upon another As there is first our birth in Christ and secondly our nourishment after we are born so the Lord hath appointed two seals or two confirming Ordinances the one sealing our regeneration entrance and ingrafting into Christ the other sealing our perseverance and growth in Christ as in the bodily life we see that we need no more but to be born and then to have this life preserved the Ordinance of Baptism sealeth the first and the Lords Supper the second so then Baptism is an Ordinance of the New Testament by the washing of water Ephes 5. 26 representing the powerful washing of the blood of Christ 1 Cor. 6. 11. Heb. 10. 22. and so sealing our regeneration or new birth and entrance into the Covenant of grace and our ingrafting into Christ and into the body of his Church John 3. 5. Tit. 3. 5. Act. 8. 27. Here let the Reader take notice of the similitudes between the sign and thing signified 1. Water is a necessary element the natural life of man cannot be without it and the blood of Christ is as necessary to the spiritual life of the soul 2. Water is a comfortable element the thirst of the body cannot be quenched but by water So the thirst of the soul cannot be quenched but by the blood of Christ Joh. 4. 13. 3. As water is necessary and useful so it is a free element a cheap element easie to come by without cost so is the blood of Christ Isa 55. 1. O he that thirsteth come and drink freely 4. As it is necessary useful and comfortable and free so it is a common element none are barred from it any may go to the river and drink So the blood of Christ is offered to all rich and poor high and low none can say I
safety there be two effects of this blessed assurance one is joy the other is peace it glads the heart and it pacifies the heart 3. Assurance will sweeten all other blessings to us we shall see them handed forth to us in love here is saith the soul plenty of food and â—ayment and friends and God is my God too my sins are pardoned too but the want of this may check all our mercies 4. Assurance will put us upon all kind of duty viz. What shall I render to the Lord for all his mercies I will either do or suffer or any thing for him that hath done so much for me 5. Assurance will mount the soul above the world and make the soul to live out of its self in the Spirit upon Christ unto God above the world under Ordinances looking to election behind and perfection before O the blessed favour of God the evidences of our Union with Christ this is like the light of the Sun which puts out the light of ten thousand candles those that have so much as to make up assurance for heaven will never complain of too little on the earth these things considered doth lay before us two things 1. The benefits of assurance Secondly it doth bespeak the reader if he have it not to labour for it Of the springs of assurance or means by which it is attained THE work we have to do is two-fold First get title to Gods love Secondly get assurance that thou hast a title the first is done by action the second is done by examination He that would get assurance must not cut off any of the pipes of conveyance neither make use of them sluggishly A sluggish spirit is alwayes a lazy spirit he that will find rich minerals must dig deep he that will be rich must be diligent and sweat for it he that will taste the kernel must crack the shell he that will have the marrow must break the bone he that will wear the garland must run the race He that will ride in triumph must get the victory a lazy Christian shall alwaies want four things comfort and content confidence and assurance Heb. 6. 11. and we desire that every one would shew the same diligence to the full assurance of Faith O how can we look so many sweet promises in the face and harbour so many misgivings in our hearts First take one promise and charge that upon the heart and if the heart be stubborn and will not yield then take another if that will not do then take another and lay that home upon the heart and never leave or cease this work till thou hast made thy calling and election sure and make as much conscience of these commands that requires thee to get assurance as you do of those commands that requires thee to pray read and hear assurance is heavenly wages that God gives not no loyterers though no man doth merit assurance by obedience yet God usually crowns obedience with assurance Joh. 14. 21 22 23. 1. Diligently improve those notable assuring Ordinances the Word Lords Supper and Praye r to help on all the former directions 1. The word was therefore written 1 John 5. 13. That believers might know they have eternal life let it therefore dwell in you richly Col. 3. 16. 2. The Lords Supper seals up remission of sins therefore be at the Lords table frequently but be sure to partake of it worthily 3. Prayer that not only spreads open a mans heart but pierceth the heavens creeps into the bosom of God and sometimes furnisheth the doubting spirit with assurance in the very exercise of it 2. Spring of assurance cherisheth and improveth all your graces but especially assuring graces knowledge Faith and hope by knowledge we discern our selves by Faith we appropriate to our selves and by hope we patiently wait for full enjoyment 3. Quench not grieve not the Spirit of God for that spirit is sent to assure us most convincingly clearly and satisfactorily 4. Go on from faith to faith add one grace to another so shall an entrance be administred to thee abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ See and well consider this portion of Scripture 2 Pet. 1. from ver 5. to ver 12. Of the impediments of assurance 1. THE first impediment of assurance that I shall name is this our measuring of the merey and bowels of God by the narrow scantling of our dark understanding 2. Another is our making sense reason and feeling the sole judge of our spiritual condition 3. Another impediment of assurance is our retaining so many despairing thoughts not considering that despair is one of the worst sins viz. It is a dishenour to God and a reproach to Christ a resisting of the Spirit of Grace and a murderer of the soul a belying of God a denying of Christ and a crowning of Satan and a proclaiming the Devil conqueror Jâ—das did sin more by despairing then by betraying of Christ 4. Another impediment of assurance is our not reading and believing these and the like precious promises Num. 14. 19 20. Exod. 34. 6 7. Mich. 7. 18 19. Isa 30. 18 19. Psalm 38. 34. to the 40. Psal 103. to the 13. Jer. 3. 1. to 12. Luk. 15. 20. to 24. 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16 17. 5. Another impediment of assurance is our living in the neglect of some of Gods Ordinances when we wait on God in some of his wayes but not in all viz. Some will wait upon God in hearing the word of life and yet neglecting the breaking the bread of life sometimes God will give assurance in one Ordinance and deny it in another that we may seek his face in all 1 Cor. 28. 8. 6. Our dallying with sin he that doth lye down in sin must live in fear there is no assurance for us unless we offer up our Isaac and part with our Benjamin pull out our right eye and cut off our right hand c. The evil of doubting or want of assurance WE cannot in any one thing more gratifie Satan and wrong our own souls then to live in a state of doubting we wrong our selves in point of comfort and content and in point of peace and in point of boldness a man that lives without assurance leaves his soul open to many blows and knocks frowns and wounds from God from the world from carnal friends and from Satan besides if we live and dye in unbelief John 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already by the Law and the Gospel and by your own conscience all these have passed the sentence of condemnation upon that state already the sin of unbelief is a great sin and it is our sin to give way to it We nourish a snake in our bosom that will sting us to death to doubt and to despair of mercy is to make the God of truth a lyar 1 John 5. 10. Doubting makes the countenance sad and the hands to hang down and
the knees feeble and the heart full of fears and trembling besides the time of doubting is a barren time there is no praying nor praising nor growing nor any vigorous acting Surely this state comes not from God he bids us make our calling and election sure neither doth it come from Christ he speaks and gives peace to his flock they come not from the holy Spirit of God for he is the great and most sweet comforter revealing and applying the love of God unto the soul consider these Scriptures Mat. 14. 31. O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Luk. 12. 29. Neither be ye of doubtful minds 1 Thes 2. 8. I will that men pray every where lifting up pure hands without wrath and doubting But whilst we live in the want of assurance we live in a state of doubting Many think they have assurance and have not LET us consider that there is a great deal of counterfeit knowledge and counterfeit faith and counterfeit love and counterfeit repentance so there is a great deal of counterfeit assurance in the world many there be that talk high and look big and bear it out bravely whereas when their assurance comes to be weighed in the ballance and brought to the test it will be found too light when it cometh to withstand temptation it is found too weak and when it should put the soul upon Divine action it is found to be but a lazy presumption so we are apt to think our sins to be no sins when indeed they be many and that they are but smal when indeed they are great and that we have grace when we have none and that our grace is true when it is counterfeit and that our condition is not so bad as others when it is worse so we are apt to lay claim to God to Christ and the promises and priviledges and all the glory of another world when we are in the sight of God poor and blind and miserable and naked being Christless and graceless and truthless and so think our selves to be something when we are nothing according to this Scripture Gal. 6. 3. Assurance is not all kind of perswasion there are two kinds of assurance or perswasion of the mind touching a mans personal interest in Christ one is imaginary and deluding for as the heart of a man may deceive it self about the habit of Faith or any other grace so it may delude a man about the acts and degrees of the same doth the true believer believe in Christ so thinks the hypocrite that he doth too hath a true believer a perswasion of his interest in Christ so hath the hypocrite to a most exalted confidence an Iron faith that will never doubt nor bow it is just with him as with a poor man in a dream what the rich man hath by propriety that same thing may the poorest man have in a dream fancy or imagination Many reasons wherefore the Lord doth not give assurance speedily 1. BEcause assurance is meat for strong men babes are not able to bear it and digest it 2. He doth not give it speedily because we are apt to seek it more for our selves then we do for his honour as the Sun doth as it were put out the light of the Moon stars fire and candle So the glory of God must put out all other ends the servant that minds his wages more then his work must not wonder if his master be slack in paying him and sure it is that he that is most mindfull of Gods honour God will be most mindfull of his comfort 3. Another reason why he doth not speedily give in assurance is that when they have it they may the more highly prize it and the more carefully keep it and the more wisely improve it and the more affectionately and effectually bless God for it none sets such a prize upon light as he that hath lain a long time in darkness 4. That we might live purely upon Christ we are apt to rest upon every thing below Christ viz. to rest upon creatures to rest upon gifts or graces duties and Divine manifestations or celestial consolations and to rest upon gracious evidences now the Lord to cure his people of these distempers many times leaves his children of light to walk in darkness but let us consider that although the enjoyment of assurance doth make most for our comfort as we have said before yet the living purely upon Christ in the want of assurance doth make most for his glory no Christian to him that in the want of visibles can live upon an invisible God 5. The Lord most times will have his people make a constant progress in holiness before he gives them this happiness of assurance for assurance in a sense is the daughter of holiness Very hard to recover assurance if one lost LET us consider the wonderful difficulty of recovering assurance if once lost Oh the sighs the groans the complaints the tears the heartrentings the soul-bleeding the gaining of assurance at first cost very dear but the regaining of it will put us to more pains and charge Of the two it is casier to keep assurance when we have it then to recover it when we have lost it as it is easier to keep the house in reparations then to raise it up when it is fallen a man may easier make a seeing eye blind then a blind eye to see a man may easily put an Instrument out of tune but not so soon put it in again a man is easily born down the stream but cannot so easily swim up the stream It is better to be kept from the losing of assurance then to be cured as it is better to be kept from a disease then to be cured of a disease Oh what is the state of a poor Christian that hath lost his assurance it will cost him more grief sorrow heart-breaking and soul-bleeding before conscience will be quieted divine justice satisfied and comfort and joy restored evidences cleared and pardon in the court of conscience sealed David found this to be very hard which made him cry out O spare me a little that I may recover my strength create a clean heart renew a right spirit restore unto me the joy of thy salvation Psal 51. 7. to 12. We lose our assurance by backsliding unbelief luke-warmness formality c. and yet cannot be recovered until we remember from whence we are fallen and repent we cannot until we look upon him whom we have peirced and see Gods delightful affections and tender mercies before set us in sweet working and soul-ravishing and heart-melting expressions a relapse in diseases is more dangerous then the first sickness was Job 5. 14. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Mat. 12 43. Of the difference between the Law and the Gospel and of the several sorts of Laws AS the Law requireth obedience so the Gospel directeth us how to perform it 1 Tim. 1. 9 10 11. The Law commands us to worship God as our
our selves to be justified from our sins by faith in the blood of Christ is the cause of our love to Christ 1 Joh. 4. 10 19. 6. Our love to Christ is the cause of our obeying of Christ 1 Joh. 5. 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments so again Joh. 14. 15. If ye love me keep my commandments See the 21. and 23. ver 7. In our obedience to him he doth manifest these things to us that we have right to the tree of life Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City that is in the obedience he shall have the manifestation of that 2 Pet. 1. 11. For so an entrance shall be administred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And so he is manifested to be the Author of salvation to all them that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Behold obedience to God is the way of conveyance to us so it is a lively evidence to others that we are the Lords Joh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples because our faith which is the evidence of things not seen to us is proved to others to be true by its works Jam. 2. 18. Behold here is the Lords going downward from the causes to the effects now we must go upward from the effects to the causes 1. God shews us what is our duty and puts us upon doing it and for the doing of it those that behold it and hear of us judge us to be true Christians 2. In the doing of it God manifests himself more and more to our souls in the keeping of his appointments there is great reward for so an entrance is administred to us abundantly 2 Pet. 1. 11. 3. The cause of our obedience is our love to God If ye love me keep my commandments 4. The cause of our love was our seeing that God did love us first 1 Joh. 4. 10 19. 5. The cause of our faith in Christ is the preaching of the Gospel Rom. 10. 17. 6. The cause of the preaching the Gospel to us was Christs dying for us 7. The cause of Christs dying for us was Gods great love of pitty to us-wards even when we were dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 4. So then Gods love was the cause of sending his son o deye for our sins Christs dying and rising again is the cause of the Gospeâ—s being preached The preaching of the Gospel is the cause of our believing Our believing is the cause of our justification from sin the knowing of our selves free from sin by the blood of Christ is the cause of our love to Christ our love to Christ is the cause of our obeying of him and in onr obedience is the manifestation more and more conveyed to us So by our obedience others have some evidence of our faith in Christ Mans life is or should be guided by these vertues 1. FAith whereby we believe in and lay hold on God for something promised 2. Hope and that is either for pardoning mercy or for glory 3. Charity whereby we love God as the only good and his people and our enemies in obedience to his command 4. Prudence 1. In our hearts to guide our thoughts 2. In our mouths to order our speeches 3. It should be in our words to grace or adorn our actions 4. In the intelligence to understand things present 5. Prudence to guess at things to come 6. Prudence to recal matters past 5. Temperance which moderates our desires and brings the Appetite under a rule of reason that it may not exceed the rule of moderation 6. Perseverance which continueth in doing and suffering valiantly 7. Justice which giveth every man his due without self-love fear or ranckor it binds us to give due to God to our parents and kindred verity and equity in all that we do in order to our duty herein 1. Sense perceiveth 2. Imagination representeth 3. Understanding formeth 4. Wit deviseth 5. Reason judgeth 6. Memory preserveth 7. Intelligence apprehendeth 8. Contemplation in the prosecution perfecteth Several Divine Sentences First of Christ HE that was the Son of of God became the son of man that we who were the sons of men might become the sons of God He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the rightâ—ousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. 21. The more vile Christ made himself for us the more dear he ought to be unto us therefore let us beware of Christ-dishonouring and soul-undoing opinions All good things are in Christ eminently perfectly and eternally Faith in the blood of Christ the witness of the Spirit of Christ a sense of feeling and the love of Christ and the hope of reigning with Christ are the only things to be desired Christ is as well the fountain of common gifts as of saving grace A true Christian cannot find fulness in the creature nor sweetness in sin nor life in any Ordinance without Christ he will weep over other mens weaknesses and rejoyce at their graces We must lean more upon Christ and less upon our own strength lest with Peter we rest upon some old strength and fall before a new temptation Christ can heal a soul speedily perfectly freely and eternally Oh that Christ should shed his blood for those sins that we never shed one tear for A true Christian doth labour for unity in the Church as well as purity he loves to see Christs coat without rent as well as without spot Phil. 3. 15. Christ did admit his spouse into the garden sweetly though she kept him out of her house sluggishly What a poor soul doth for Christ sincerely that our precious Saviour takes sweetly though it be done ill he doth accept it well Nay though we carry our selves in our choicest performances very weakly yet he doth carry himself towards us very sweetly and doth accept of that which we do kindly although done in much infirmity let us enter into his service and we shall soon experience his sweetness Christ doth weigh the heart of the giver more then the value of the gift and delights to see his people give cheerfully though they cannot give bountifully Let us give over measuring his mercy by the narrow scantling of our dark understandings though difficulties may arise and Christians hearts may fail yet the work of Christ shall go on c. Of affliction for sin in Sentences GOD is as severe in punishing as he is gracious in pardoning his house of correction is his School of instruction God had one Son without corruption but no Son without correction he had one Son without Sin but no Son without Sorrow A Soul may be dearly beloved although soarly afflicted sin and punishment are linked together if thou wilt be sinful thou must be miserable Oh what is the state of a man
the City in perils in the wilderness enticed by Satan allured by the world deceived and cheated by our own heart Oh how wilt thou do to lanch out into the Ocean dost thou know what will become of thee in another world is thy peace made with God is thy person justified art thou in a state of grace art thou born again art thou converted and become as a little child hast thou repented doth thy righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees if so it is well if not thou shalt never enter into the Kingdom of God John 3. 3. 5. Matthew 18. 3. Luke 13. 5. Mat. 5. 20. 4. Let us consider that death hath something to say to every one of us he is no respecter of persons sometimes he snatcheth away the babe newly born sometimes the child sometimes the young man sometimes the middle age and alwayes the old aged he respects no mans person be he rich or poor high or low strong or weak beloved or hated godly or ungodly wherefore call thy self to account every evening examine what evil hast thou hated this day what vice hast thou stood against this day in what part thou art bettered now then thou wast in the morning Seneca reports of a heathen man that would every night ask himself these questions I have heard of a heathen after his conversion that was tempted to some sin he thrust his finger into the fire saying sin soul if thou canst burn and so overcame the temptation 5. Let us consider that death to a godly man is but a change of place not of company we shall have the company of the same Father Son and Spirit and Saints and all the spirits of just men made perfect a believer in this world is not in his own place therefore oh Christians weigh anchor hoise sail and be gone death to a Christian will put an end to all unprofitable things here we change joy for sorrow health for sickness strength for weakness honour for dishonour plenty for poverty beauty for deformity friends for foes silver for brass gold for copper c. now death puts an end to all these Rev. 21. 4. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death nor sorrow neither shall there be any more pain Rev. 14. 13. therefore blessed are the dead that die in the Lord death also doth put a change to our employment our employment in this world doth lye much in praying groaning sighing mourning wrestling and fighting against the world flesh and Devil Ephes 6. 10. But in the world to come our employment will lye in praising and magnifying the Lord Again our enjoyment shall be changed as well as our employment we shall change our unconstant enjoyment for a more constant 1 Thes 4. 17 18. We shall change our dark and obscure enjoyment for a more bright enjoyment 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face here we receive grace for grace there we shall receive glory for glory 6. Consider unto what familiar things death is compared and presented to one that is in Christ sometimes it is termed a house Job said I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house of all living Job 30. 23. Sometimes it is represented as going to bed Isa 57. 2. Sometimes death is stiled a sleep Dan. 12. 2. What shall I say more death to a wicked man is the king of terrors but Christ came to deliver his flock from the fear of death and the grave is embalmed by Jesus Christ he lay there three dayes c. 2. As in our preparation for death there are the foregoing things to be considered so in the next place there are some things to be practiced and the work we have is two-fold 1. Get a title to Gods love 2. Get assurance that thou hast a title which is or may be done by improving these five things 3. Improve the present opportunity and put not off to the last minute as most do 4. Store up a stock of faith store up a stock of promises and store up a stock of prayers against that day 5. Endeavour so to live every day as if it were thy last day 6. Gather up all thy evidences and spiritual experiences and keep them in mind and heart 7. Make thy will in time of health and leave all things clear upon thy book both in shop and conscience 1. In all thy gettings be sure to get a title to Gods love and then get assurance that thou hast a title the first is done by action the second is done by examination The action or actions are these 1. GIve diligence to make thy calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. and that a man may so do shorten worldly business and be moderate in the use of worldly pleasures so foolish are we that whilst with much care and labour we go about to make those things certain which are most uncertain we make those things uncertain which might be made most certain he that hath two Irons in the fire at once spoyls one whilst he attends the other See what care most have to make good their titles to settle their inheritances upon their heirs shall we not be as careful to settle our interest to eternal glory if we be quiet now yet the Devil will find a time to try thy evidences for heaven and call our title into question sickness and death are times of weakness to us wherin he like a subtile enemy displayes all his art O consider the misery of doubting persons at their death think upon the anguish that their souls endure they apprehend God angry with them the Devil accusing them earth leaving them heaven refusing them hell claiming them soul and body parting friends weeping and themselves hopeless going they know not whither O then O then let us make our calling and election sure before hand as worldly men get riches in health to cherish them in sickness and as the Bees get hony in summer to feed on in the winter even so should we in time of health get good grounds of assurance that so we might live enjoy and dye in peace and rise in perfection and raign in happiness 2. Get assurance that thou hast a title viz. make a curious narrow impartial diligent search into thy own soul and see what humility what self-denial what sin-abhorrency what love to Christ what delight in his Ordinances what zeal to Gods glory what contempt of the world what desires after the society of the Saints what sympathizing with them in their afflictions and if thou findest any impressions of grace any spiritual work any saving savoury distinguishing operations upon thy heart c. canst thou mourn in secret for open and secret sins dost thou deâ—ire to have sin purged as well as pardoned dost thou leave sin from a right principle to a right end and so through the Spirit mortifie the
deeds of the flesh art thou willing to be searched by any Christian in any thing dost thou approve thy heart to God in all thy duties and services dost thou do what thou dost for God at least in desire and endeavour to obey him freely universally and constantly then thou hast a title for these are flowers of Paradise that grow not in natures garden when thou comest to dye God doth but take a flower out of the wilderness and plant it in Paradise or takes a rose out of the field and puts it in his bosom surely death to a Christian is but an unloading him of all his burdens and freeing him from all his troubles Rev. 21. 4. Rev. 14. 13. 3. If we would dye comfortably let us improve the present opportunity for we have a great deal of work to do and but a little time to do it in this work deferred will be still greater the time to do it in will be shorter the strength to do it by will be less our understanding will be more dark our hearts more hard our wils more crooked our affections more disordered our conscience more benummed the work we have to do is as followeth viz. We have a God to honour a Christ to rest on a race to run a crown to win a hell to escape a heaven to obtain we have weak graces to strengthen and strong corruptions to weaken we have many temptations to withstand and afflictions to bare we have many mercies to improve and many services to perform If Hester had not improved the present opportunity she and her fathers house had been destroyed If Abigal had not improved the present opportunity many a mans life had been cut off 1 Sam. 25. 34. There was an opportunity that the children of Israel had to enter in the Land of Canaan upon the return of the spies but they not improving of it were fain to stay longer in the wilderness Jerusalem had an opportunity to be gathered together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings but for want of improving it it was destroyed Let us now redeem the time lest our candlestick be removed Rev. 2. 5. Lest as Paul and Barnabas said to the Jews to you is the word of this salvation sent but seeing ye put it from you lo we turn to the Gentiles Act. 13. 46 c. Yet the dayes of plenty are amongst us let us with Joseph lay up in store lest we dye in the famine yet the weather is calm and the season fair let us with Noah build up an Ark lest with the rest we perish in the flood Gen 7. 21. Yet the Angel tarryeth at the gates of Sodom let us with Lot depart thence lest we be destroyed Gen. 19. 24. Yet the bridegroom tarryeth and waiteth let us hast to enter in with him lest with the foolish Virgins we be repelled Mat. 25. 12. Yet wisdom cryeth in our streets Oh then now let us harken to her Yet the Lord setteth open his storehouse of mercy let us now turn to him for a blessing lest coming too late with Esau we find none Heb. 12. 17. Yet the Lord knocketh at the door of our hearts let us now open to him lest he say to us as he did to Jerusalem Luke 19. 42. Now it is hid from thee yet the Lord waiteth for our return from Babylon oh then let us now return whilst we have time lest hereafter he say to us as the Angel sware there shall be no more time Rev. 10. 6. Yet the Lord is saying to us as in Prov. 1. 23. Turn ye at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit upon you lest he say to us as in ver 24. Because I called and you refused you shall call and I will not hear you yet the Lord is saying to us as to Nineveh Jonah 3. 4 5. yet forty dayes and you shall be destroyed let us repent as they did lest we be destroyed indeed 4. The next thing to be practiced of all that would live sweetly and dye comfortably is first store up a stock of faith Secondly store up a stock of promises Thirdly store up a stock of prayers and thou shalt attain the art of dying well 1. Store up a stock of faith and that will shew us that Christs death is a death concerning death 1 Cor. 15. 56 57 c. Christ in his death put death to death Again faith will assure the dying party that the Lord will be with him in the hour of death Psalm 23. 4. Though I walk in the valley of death I will fear none ill c. Again faith will make a Christian willing to dye Luke 2. 28 29. Now let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 2. Store up a stock of promises against that day I will be with thee in the fire and in the water saith the Lord in one promise and in another promise he saith I will never leave thee nor forsake thee the labour of the Olive may fail our nearest and dearest friends may fail our eyes may fail our tongue may fail our strength may fail our flesh and heart may fail our spirits may fail yet saith the Lord I will be with thee I will not fail thee see these precious Scriptures Josh 1. 5. Josh 21. 45. and 23. 14. 1 King 8. 56. 3. Store up a stock of prayers amongst all thy requests to God in all thy addresses to him intreat him not to forsake thee at that time 5. The fifth thing to be practiced is to endeavour to live every day as thy last day Psalm 90. The Prophet speaks of death ver 10. see what follows ver 12. So teach me to number my dayes that I may apply my heart to wisdom a natural man considers of death notionally their senses tell them that all must dye but as for preparation for it that they put off till the last year and when that is come to the last moneth and when that is come to the last week of that moneth and when that is come to the last day of that week and when that is come to the last hour of that day and when that is come to the last minute of that hour and so knock when the gate is shut Mat. 25. 12. the gate of grace is shut and the gate of mercy and the gate of indulgence and the gate of repentance and the gate of hope and the gate of comfort c. But let a Christian live every day as his last day and make sure his interest in God whilst God is reconcilable and whilst his bowels of mercy are not totally restrained and whilst the treasury door of mercy and grace is open and whilst there is a blank in the leaf for the sinners name to be put in before the glass is out and the Sun set and the golden scepter taken in 6. Gather up all thy evidences and spiritual experiences and keep them in thy heart and memory