credit of the Gospel and that he may be more serviceable to God and Men. But by no means would he have others to think or speak of him above that which is meet He is for lifting up God's Name not for lifting up himself Such as are excessively taken with the praise of Man and cannot bear up but are discontented if they be not extoled by others are not of a self-denying Spirit Pride and Ambition are not suffered to bear rule where true Self-denial dwelleth 11. Self-denial would teach us to yield readily to just reproof He that denies himself would not despise or refuse reproof he is willing to hear any thing against himself When a Man has been provoked to deny and disown his Wife to abdicate and cast off his Son if you have any thing to say against them which he was ignorant of he will be far from taking their parts One that denies himself would rather take part with God's Word against himself than take part with Self against the Word But now such as hate reproof certainly they love carnal sinful self too well Such as cannot endure to hear their Sins spoken against publickly in the Ministry of the Word and can much less endure to be told of them privatly in a close admonition and home-reproof they that are so tender and fond of Self that would not see or hear any thing amiss in themselves that are very impatient of such doctrine as nearly toucheth Self doubtless they have not yet learnt to deny themselves 12. Self-denial would make us ready to give admonition as there is occasion and make us faithful in reproving others This would not only make us humble and tractible in receiving but also faithful in giving admonition and reproof And I scarce know which of these is more difficult to flesh and blood which of them requires more Self-denial What is the cause that so plain a Duty as that of reproving an offending Brother or Neighbour as what duty can be more plainly laid down than this Lev. 19.17 that a Duty so plain is so little practised so generally neglected I say what is the cause of it Is it not from sinful Self-respect We cannot have the least doubt but God would take it well from us if we be faithful in it and if we thought that Men would but take it as well from us there is no question but many of us would not be so tongue-tied here But we are afraid by this means we should lose their friendship yea perhaps make them our enemies Thus self-respect too generally prevails and will not suffer us to shew any respect here to God's express Command or to the Souls of our Brethren But when a Man has learnt this lesson of Self-denial if he be called to reprove and rebuke Sinners self-respect being set aside he will not be so backward to this Duty 13. Self-denial is against sinful sloth and for taking pains in God's Service When the flesh sayes Master spare thy self Self-denial will say No Be not slothful in Business and especially take heed of sloth in Spiritual Business be fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Self-denial will put a Man upon striving to enter in at the strait gate though it be pinching and grievous to the flesh It will put a Man upon taking Heaven by violence by an holy violence Such as rest in a dull formality will not be got out of that place such as take up with a few empty heartless services as if any thing was good enough for God they that would put him off with such service as costeth them little or nothing they plainly shew that as yet they have not learnt to deny themselves Even carnal self will allow of the easie part of Religion it is a little more at ease for this more at ease I say than if a Man did cast off all Religion 14. Self-denial will incline one to charitableness and make one helpful to others according to his power Herein Charity and Self-denial fully agree that as the Apostle sayes 1 Cor. 13.5 Charity seeketh not her own so neither doth Self-denial seek her own The Apostle enjoyneth 1 Cor. 10.24 Let no Man seek his own but every Man anothers Wealth Which can never be rightly observed and discharged without Self-denial A selfish spirit is a base private spirit but a Self-denying spirit is a generous publick spirit Such a one is for doing all the good he can When once we have learnt to deny our selves we shall scarce know how to deny others when we have power to help and succour them If we have Estates we shall consider we have them not for our selves but to do good with them to relieve those that are in want If we are close-fisted or miserable scanty in the matter of contribution to the needy and distressed it would argue that Self has dominion in us still that Self bears the Purse and keeps the Keys with us 15. Self-denial will dispose a Man to love his very enemies and to forgive injuries He will be moved at those who shew themselves enemies to God Self-denial will oppose the thoughts or design of Self-revenge We shall very rarely have a mind to stand up in Self's Quarrel when Self is abandoned and denied One of a Self-denying spirit would be more concerned in God's cause than in his own So it is a good sign if all the reproaches Men cast upon us would not move and trouble us so much as reproach cast upon God and his wayes if we could be more easily reconciled to such as have trespassed sore on us and have been very injurious to us than to wicked wretches that we see going on desperately in their trespasses against God and see to be set against the Interest of Christ But if we are nearly touched with any thing said or done against our selves and as persons unconcerned in all the provocations that Sinners offer unto God and all that Christ suffers in his Members c. this looks ill shews us to be still possessed of a base selfish-spirit 16. Self-denial would make a Man more concerned for the Church of God than for himself One of a Self-denying spirit would rejoyce more to see the Church of Christ in a truly flourishing state as it was in Act. 9.31 to see the Kingdom of Christ enlarged the Gospel propagated c. than he could rejoyce in his own advancement in the World or in the increase of his own Estate So on the other hand he would lay to heart the Churches troubles and publick calamities more than his personal Leo Modena of the Rites c. part 1. c. 2. or family afflictions They say the Jews never build an house but leave some part unfinished in memory of Jerusalems desolation or they must write the memory of the Desolation upon it And the Churches Troubles should be engraven on all our Worldly Enjoyments We should take less delight in them when she sits sad and solitary A self-denying
spiritual than for those everlasting Pleasures at God's right-Hand or are more for worldly Riches than for Treasure in Heaven True Faith would lay the World and worldly Things low in our esteem low in our thoughts Faith judgeth of them by the Word it weighteth them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary it compares earthly and spiritual things worldly and heavenly things things temporal and things eternal together Thus the World appears a vain empty worthless base and contemptible thing indeed to a Believer not fit for him to set his heart upon but to get under his feet * Non incurvet terrenum opus quem sâ—des coelestium erigiâ— Bern. And when worldly things come to stand in competition with God and Christ and Heaven a Believer cannot but account them Loss and Dung. An Unbeliever for want of Faith makes light of Christ and his Benefits makes light of a Crown of Glory of Heavens Happiness revealed and offered in the Gospel He looks on them but as pleasant Fancies and golden Dreams but things of Sense even momentary Pleasures and perishing Riches are more taking with him These he looks upon as real the other he accounts but imaginary or uncertain But a true Believer on the contrary has a sight of those things within the Vail by Faiâ—h Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Thus he hath found the hidden Treasure he has found the Pearl of great price he has made a discovery of the good Land that flows with Milk and Hony Faith is that Spy that gives him certain intelligence of the heavenly Canaan He is put out of doubt of the infinite Treasures that are in Christ of that fulness of Joy and the everlasting Pleasures that are in God's Presence in Heaven Though Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him yet God hath revealed them to such by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. The Spirit working Faith gives the Soul a view of them And hence it is that worldly things appear to be but empty Bubbles and meer Trifles compared with spiritual things with things above Thus the World's Markets are marred with a Believer He can no more value earthly things at the rate that Worldlings do He is clearly convinced that he should be an infinite Loser if he should throw away his Soul and forgo all Interest in God and Christ and Heaven for such poor Commodities as these are He knows where to bestow his best and most serious Thoughts his Heart and Affections better than on the World He sees worldly things to be valuable only so far as they may help him forward in God's service and in Heavens way but when they would be a hindrance and pull-back would be tempting him from Christ would take him off from his Duty from his main work and business of serving and glorifying of God and working out his own Salvation he looks upon them not only as vain Shadows but as deadly Snares Well Sirs Apply these things to your Hearts While the World either worldly Pleasures or Profits c. bear greatest sway while our Hearts and Affections are captivated by them and our Lives ruled and governed by them we do but vainly pretend to Faith The World loseth its commanding Power the World is in some measure conquered and subdued it is brought low where Faith cometh You have heard before that a true Believer accounts Christ precious and here you see that he contemns the World Indeed it cannot be otherwise but look how much Christ is raised in a Man's esteem so much the World and worldly things go down 2. True Faith overcomes a threatning frowning raging storming World A sound Believer will not forsake Christ his Truth and Ways for any thing the World can do or threaten Rev. 2.7 8. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Observe here the fearful and unbelieving are opposed to him that overcometh And the fearful and unbelieving are coupled together predominant carnal Fear and true Faith are inconsistent Such as are offended when Tribulation and Persecution arise such as in time of Temptation fall away were never sound Believers It is true Sometimes in an hour of Temptation a Believer is sore shaken but though he fall he shall arise and recover himself as Peter did and Cranmer and others He may fall but does not fall away Again it is true he may have many fears that he shall not be able to hold out in the time of Trial but he is safer for those Fears that cause a godly jealousy over himself that quicken unto Prayer that keep him on his Watch. Self-suspicion is a means to preserve and secure the Soul which Self-confidence would betray and overthrow But tormenting Fears I grant would shew Faith to be but weak yet notwithstanding a true Believer may have such Fears they are not predominant still he is kept by the Power of God and kept through Faith As by Faith Moses refused the Honour of being called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter and refused the Pleasures of Sin with the greatest Treasures in Aegypt as he thus overcame a flattering World so likewise by Faith he chose to suffer Affliction with the People of God and chose Reproaches for Christ and forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King Thus he also overcame a frowning and a raging World by Faith And all true Believers have the same Spirit of Faith though not in that heroical degree And Faith will teach a Man to account upon Sufferings All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer must look to suffer in and from the World 2 Tim. 3.12 A Man cannot follow Christ therefore except he deny himself and take up his Cross Again Faith concludes that Sin is far worse than Suffering That it is the greatest Folly in the World to run upon Divine Displeasure to avoid Man's Displeasure That the World cannot afflict any Torments on the faithful like those which God hath threatned and will most certainly inflict on the faithless Apostates Fire and Faggot is a light matter to that Fire and Brimstone which God hath prepared to be the portion of the fearful and unbelieving And further Faith concludes that all the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that is to be revealed That our light Afflictions which are but for a moment shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Thus true Faith will help us to overcome the World If we have this Faith then we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe and persevere to the saving of the Soul ACT. 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto
amiableness which is in God for which he is to be loved above all and in respect of which Mans nearest conjunction with him must needs be his highest felicity while a Man is a stranger to all this he cannot love God as God for himself but only for some fancied happiness and self-advantage expected from him See more of this and so the Mystery of the love of God and of our selves accurately opened in Mr. Baxters Christian Directory pag. 182. c. 3. That is a right holy love of God indeed if we love him as an holy God And it is not enough to love him as our great and gracious Benefactor but we must also love him as our Righteous and Holy Ruler and Governor A Gracious Soul feareth the Lord for his Goodness and loves him even for his Holiness but graceless ones contemn him for the former and hate him for the latter Psal 119.140 Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it So this is comfortable indeed if we can say the like of God himself if we love him not only for his Kindness and Benignity but also for his Holiness and Purity Flesh and blood would never teach this Corrupt nature is contrarily inclined Sinners either suppress the notion of God's Holiness and take up a most false blasphemous conceit that God is like to them and approveth well enough of them and their wayes as in Psal 50.21 Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Or if they have an apprehension of his Holiness in that respect they love him not but have a great aversation from him and contrariety to him Now it is not being taken with a false Idea or representation of God which will pass for love to God This is but setting up an Idol in the heart Neither is it enough to love God as the God of Nature the Creator and Preserver of all things He from whom we have our beings and well-beings our great Benefacter who giveth us life and breath and all things who giveth us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness c. I say it is too short to love him as our Creator and Preserver but we must love him as our Righteous and Holy Governor Sinners do not take distaste at all that is in God or at all he does but his Holiness exprest in his most Righteous and Holy Laws this is that in special which they cannot be reconciled unto So they are far from loving him as their Holy Ruler and Judg as one that cannot but be displeased at Sin which is so contrary to his Holy Nature and to his Righteous Will They are not so much taken with God in any other respect as in this respect they are displeased with him But Holiness is as essential to God as any other Attribute of his Exo. 15.11 Who is like thee glorious in Holiness So they that would deprive him of his Holiness would spoil him of a chief part of his Glory Yea if he were not Holy he should not be God That Sinners who wish in their hearts that God was not so Holy and that his Laws were not so strict or that they might be exempted from his Laws or from giving account to God they interpretatively wish that there was no God And if it was in their power it is in their hearts to dethrone and un-God him Now surely such are so far from loving God that indeed they are haters of God Rom. 1.30 And well may his soul loath them while their souls abhor him Zech. 11.8 How many alas who love not God for all that he is pleased to do for them as they dislike him upon this account that he hath imposed upon them Laws that are contrary to their Lusts such will be found in the rank of those that hate him Exod. 20.5 The love of God as our Holy Ruler is so necessary that it will nothing advantage a Man if he should dy in God's cause as a Turk may chuse to dye rather then to deny his Mahomet If one of us should chuse to sacrifice his life rather than renounce his Religion professed I say this would not avail at all while his heart was more for his lusts than for God As indeed this is not to love God to prefer any lust before him what ever else one may part with for him So 4. If we love God sincerely we love him suparlatively we love him above all Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee True love to God will not admit of any corrival with him will suffer nothing to stand in competition with him We cannot love him as God if we love any creature as much or above him For a Wife to love her Husband but as she loveth another Man this is not in a moral sense to love her Husband this is not true conjugal love So we do not love God sin cerely as God if we love any thing in the World as much Therefore certainly they that are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God as 2 Tim. 3.4 and they that love the praise of men more than the praise of God Joh. 12.43 they that are lovers of the World and worldly things 1 Joh. 2.15 that have their hearts chiefly set on these things they are spiritual Adulterers and Adulteresses as the Apostle James calleth them Jam. 4.4 their hearts depart go a whoring from God The love of God dwelleth not in them It dwells not where it rules not where it is not predominant prevailing over carnal sinful love and subjugating natural love though they are not totally eradicated here But hereupon some sound upright hearts may be questioning the truth of their love to God not finding those strong passionate workings in their hearts towards God which they have towards some creatures towards their dear relations c. To satisfy such As we distinguished before in speaking of Godly Sorrow there is a passionate Sorrow and there is a rational Sorrow so we must distinguish of Love There is a passionate Love which may express it self more towards creatures God being a Spirit is removed further from our senses and not so near unto our passions he is not directly the object of a passionate Love But as he is manifested and shewed to the enlightned understanding as most amiable and the chiefest Good the renewed Will preferreth chuseth and adhereth to him before all other And this is a rational spiritual Love Now do we in our setled judgment esteem and prefer and in our will chuse and imbrace him before all Do we indeed prize and desire an interest in him above all things in the World Had we rather part with all Possessions Relations c. than to have no part in him Should we account our selves really miserable without him what ever else we may enjoy but happy and blest in him though we were deprived of all
should we love the appearing of Christ 2 Tim. 4.8 how should we rejoyce to think of the day when Christ will come and take us up to himself to enjoy God in Glory If it be so desirable to enjoy his presence here how much more to enjoy his presence in Heaven So this would shew that we love God if we are looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God as 2 Pet. 3.12 and if we heartily lament it that we are at so great a distance from him that we enjoy so little of him and desire the clearest manifestation of his love and the nearest fellowship with and fullest fruition of him above all the riches pleasures and honours in the World Then certainly we are taken with him Yet it is granted many times such as have the love of God in them cannot find in themselves such willingness to be absent from the Body to be present with the Lord as would become them and which they would attain unto But generally it is because they are clouded and full of doubts and fears about their spiritual estates or because they are conscious of present great unpreparedness they see themselves so unmeet for Heaven They are ashamed that the Bridegroom should come and find them so unready But yet they would not build Tabernacles and set up their rest here They could not be content with the World for their Portion might they always enjoy it They look higher And if they may not hope at last to come to the enjoyment of God in Heaven they must despair of ever being as they would be But alas how many are there who might they but have their lives perpetuated here and so enjoy the World for ever would never think of Heaven would desire no other Heaven and when they desire Heaven it is only in a second place when they can enjoy the World no longer but if they were put to their choice they would not leave Earth for Heaven And they desire not Heaven at all for the enjoyment of God there and to live in the perfect love of God and full conformity to him but only to be free from trouble and secured from the pains and torments of Hell and to enjoy a Paradise of delights to please their senses The Heaven that cornal minds are for is but a dream a fancy of their own That which is the Heaven of Heavens scil the full enjoyment of God in his love and likeness they have no mind to 8. If we have set our love upon God then our thoughts are much upon him Thus the Psalmist proved his love to the Word of God Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day As he says ver 24. Thy Testimonies also are my delight Where the Septuagint read my meditation It was his delight to meditate on them Thus his love to God was acting in frequent and most pleasing contemplations of God As it is the covetous Worldling's delight to think on his riches and the Sensualist's delight to think on his pleasures so his meditation of God was sweet to him Psal 104.34 which shewed his love to God As the Lover delights to behold the party with whom he is enamoured The thoughts of the soul are its glances and serious meditations its fixed looks And if we have set our love upon him our most intent and powerful affecting thoughts are fixed on him Our best our most deliberate advised if not our most frequent thoughts are on God The soul is where it loves rather than where it lives You may be in company with one that is deep in love you may talk to him and yet he little minds you or your discourse his thoughts are elsewhere taken up with his beloved Therefore when you see one mindless of his business you will oft say surely he is in love So indeed the the soul that loves God is much with him in its thoughts As the Psalmist would remember him upon his bed and meditate on him in the night-watches And sayes he when I awake I am still with thee Thus one that loves God will ordinarily have his thoughts on God both lying down at night and rising up in the morning So when he is at work in his Calling his thoughts are ever and anon ascending up to God And when he is in Company he oft leaves his Company unespyed his heart and thoughts going out after God But now when it is so that a Man does what he can to banish God out of his thoughts when the thoughts of God are unwelcome guests are not kindly entertained when God is not in all his thoughts from morning to night at least not with his good will surely such a one does but vainly pretend to love God How canst thou say that thou lovest him when thy heart is not with him when thy thoughts are not on him Such as love not to think on him it is plain they are great strangers or rather enemies to God in their minds 9. If we love God we shall delight to speak or hear of him to put us in mind of him or to set forth his praise It will be pleasing to us to hear of God and the things of God if we hear the things that are right To hear his Word and to hear Men speak well of him according to his Word So we shall delight as to think on his Name so to make mention of his Name Though we shall dread to speak slightly carelessly of him though we shall abhor the abusing and profaning of his sacred and reverend Name we shall desire to speak reverently and affectionately of him Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Where the heart is full of love to the World a Man's delight will be to speak of worldly things such as he loves most And he cannot relish other discourses but it sounds harsh is unpleasing to him On the contrary when the heart is taken up with the love of God it will be ones delight to speak of him and to speak in his praise to speak good of his Name As we are forward upon all occasions to speak in the commendation of those whom we most affect so if we love God we shall be speaking well of him we are oft setting forth his goodness we love to speak of his excellencies and of his glory 10. If we love God it will be a great grief to us to see or hear God dishonoured Psal 69.9 The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me He took them to himself Yea to hear himself vilified would not have moved him so much When Shimei cursed him he could hear and bear it patiently So if we love God we shall be grieved at those that rise up against God with the Psalmist Psal 139.21 22. we shall count those our enemies that are enemies to God Who could endure to see his friend abused to see his Father wronged If we have the love
the pardon of Sin is promised as we find in other Texts of Scripture see Prov. 28.13 1 John 1.9 And what follows there Psal 32.3 5. doth very much countenance such an interpretation Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose spirit there is no Guile Then it follows When I kept silence my Bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long I acknowledg my Sin unto thee and mine Iniquity have I not hid I said i. e. resolved I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my Sin And he freely confessed his Sin not only to the Lord but to Man 2 Sam. 12.13 Hypocrites like the Pharisees are for justifying themselves And what they cannot justifie they will mince and extenuate all they can How much ado had the Prophet Samuel with Saul to convince him of his Sin And after all he could not be brought to a free serious and hearty Confession He confesseth but not without an excuse 1 Sam. 15.24 Hypocrites are not for confessing till they can no longer hide their Sins Or if they confess some Sins for fashion-sake they are usually such as the best are not free from They have still a desire to keep close their Bosom-sins 6. The upright Man has left halting betwixt two is really resolved for God and entirely devoted to him Thus his heart is perfect with God 1 King 8.61 2 Chron. 16.9 his heart is for God before all other it is not divided betwixt God and other things The Hypocrites heart like the Adulteresses is divided divided betwixt God and Mammon divided betwixt God and his Lusts That is a false adulterous heart that is divided betwixt God and other Lovers But blessed are they that seek him with the whole heart Psal 119.2 Sic ut eum solum quaerant diligant reliqua tantùm propter Deum Muis in Pol. Synop. Blessed are they that seek him above all seek him indeed for himself and other things but for him As the Psalmist could say for himself ver 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee The Lord promised Jer. 24.7 that his People should return unto him with their whole heart As he says of the main Body of the People on the contrary Jer. 3.10 Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly Where we see that is not a true but feigned conversion to God which is not with the whole heart We must turn unto the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul Deut. 30.10 And thus we must love him Deut. 13.3 And thus we must serve him Deut. 10.12 And to serve him thus is to serve him in truth 1 Sam. 12.24 Serve him in truth with all your hearts Object But then where is there a Man upon Earth that truly turns to God or loves or serves him if there be no doing these in truth but with all the heart Answ Speaking strictly none do thus turn to God love seek or serve him But the phrase with all the heart and with the whole heart must be taken in a more favourable sense here So the whole heart and a perfect heart is opposed to a double heart a divided heart an heart and an heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A double-minded Man is the Character of an Hypocrite James 1.8 He has two souls as it were one inclining him towards God and Christ and Heaven another inclining more strongly towards the World towards Worldly Riches Pleasures Vain-glory or Applause He is double-soul'd and therefore unstable not knowing where to fix When he would give up himself to his Lusts Conscience is pulling him back and when he should give up himself to God his Lusts draw him back And his heart being never truly set on God it is more easily drawn from him than from the World from his Lusts which he is more for Object But is there not Flesh and Spirit two contrary Principles in the best Saint upon Earth Answ True Yet so that the Spirits interest is predominant the prevailing bent of the Heart and Will is for God But the Hypocrite is still halting betwixt two Opinions his heart divided betwixt God and the World Like a Man that is in bivio Of the new Cov. p. 225. in a double way as Dr. Preston has the Comparison he stands and looks on both and knows not which to take So the double-minded Man looks upon God and looks upon the World and one while he is for God another while for the World He stands thus in suspence Whereas the upright Man is come to his choice he is resolved what way to take and all the World cannot turn him His heart is fixed upon God his resolution thorowly set for God Though honest hearts do find unsteadiness as to Degrees yet they are not unsettled as to the Object The prevailing habitual bent of such hearts is towards God though they are not carried out towards him with the like ardency of Affection and like vigorous endeavours at all times 7. The upright Man is one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Cant. 1.4 The upright love thee Hypocrites unsound Professors do but pretend love to the Lord Jesus Christ the Upright only love him indeed Thus the Apostle concludes his Epistle to the Ephesians Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Here all the Hypocrites in the World fall short and are cut out While an Hypocrite in outward actions may may seem to out-do many a sincere Christian yet in the point of affection he is utterly wanting He wants that which should be the main spring of his actions He is wholly acted from self-love and by self-respects not from love to Jesus Christ which is the cause of that great unevenness in the course of Hypocrites They are not steady but off and on moved to and fro as self-interest and self-respects move and incline them While it is for their credit and profit and is like to make way for their preferment to profess his Name they would be sorry that any should be more forward to own Christ and his wayes than they but when the wind bloweth in another quarter ordinarily they will then face about and shamefully retreat or if they hold on yet it is still from some self-respect not from real love to Christ But the Upright heartily love him and therefore cleave to him with full purpose of heart and follow him fully even when he is most despised and opposed Like those good Women to whom the Angel spake Mat. 28.5 Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified They that love Christ indeed will continue seeking him when most despised when persecuted when crucified And if our hearts be not with Christ they cannot be sound and upright 8. The Upright Man is careful in his ordinary course to walk before God to carry as in God's sight and presence Gen.
against their Wills There Assent is a forced not a free Assent As some are willingly Ignorant so some again are knowing unwillingly As Light is troublesome to sore Eyes so Knowledg and Convictions to unsound Minds And they put off convictions as long as they can Though they may take some delight in speculative Truths though they may not be offended at some practical Truths yet those Soul-searching and practical Truths that would come nearest and that most concern them they are strongly prejudiced against A true Believer would not resist the Truth would not shut it out He willingly yields to and takes part with God's Truth when he knows it even against any Errour or sinful practice he had been for before And so 4. Faith assents impartially A Believer assents to the whole Word of God in general and to every thing which he sees held forth in God's Word as true And we receive no Truth upon the Testimony and Authority of God in his Word if we receive not every thing for Truth which we see his Word for A quatenus ad omne valet consequentia A partial Assent or yielding to some Truths with a rejection of others which we see as clearly laid down in the Word will not stand with true Faith Certainly I cannot have the Faith of a Christian without believing the Trinity in Unity the Incarnation Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the way of Mans Redemption and Salvation by him But now when carnal reasonings are subdued and a Man is come to assent to those great Mysteries and chief Articles of Faith where the greatest difficulty lay he will more easily assent to other points of less difficulty seeing them confirmed by the same Divine Testimony upon which he rests assured of the Truth of those higher Mysteries Thus though good Men and true Believers may err and differ in controvertible points in points not fundamental or essential to true Christianity yet they are agreed in this common Principle That whatsoever the Lord saith in his Word is true And therefore when they see the Scripture against any opinion they have held it immediately puts an end to the Controversy They dare not hold any opinion contrary to known Scripture As for those that are for bringing Scripture to their opinions and not for bringing their opinions to Scripture and such as obstinately maintain their errours against clear evidence of God's Word which they see and will not see they must needs be of corrupt Minds and reprobate concerning the Faith Yet further to shew the impartiality of Faith's assent to Divine Truth 1. Hereby a Believer assents to the Truth of any thing he sees God's Word for without any other reason As indeed it is most unreasonable not to believe that God who cannot Lye who cannot be deceived or deceive Heb. 11.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is the evidence of things not seen Faith takes it for sufficient proof and good demonstration that a thing is so because God saith it when it doth not otherwise at all appear to a Man's Sence or Reason 2. Where the same thing may be proved both by Scripture and by humane Reason e.g. that the World was created and had a beginning as we are taught in the Scripture we may also prove it by Reason yet a Believer more chearfully acquiesceth in the Testimony of God in his Word is better satisfied with that than with any Arguments a Philosopher could bring for it To a Believer there is more weight in one single Scripture-Testimony to ballast his Judgment than in a multitude of Philosophical Reasons besides the Scripture 3. A Believer assents to the Truth of the Word in things that are quite above Mans Reason Fides nostra super ratione quidem est non tamen temerarie irrationabiliter ad sumitur Junilius Ep. Afri As that there are three Persons yet but one God that the Son of God took Mans nature that there are two natures in Christ yet but one Person that there shall be a resurrection of the Body the same numerical Body though resolved into Dust shall be raised again and re-united to the Soul Such points as quite non-plus humane reason Faith takes for great and certain Verities Where natural Reason would say How can these things be Faith will readily conclude they must certainly be true being attested by the God of Truth And yet by the way here is nothing for the Popish Monster of Transubstantiation for where hath God said that upon the words of Consecration the Bread is turned into Christs Body Or from what Word of God is so much necessarily inferred 4. A Believer assents to the Word in things that are purely contrary to the Wisdom of the Flesh and carnal Reason That which was to the Jews a stumbling-Block and to the Greeks foolishness a Believer admires as the Wisdom of God It is marvellous in the Eye of Faith That Godliness is great gain this passeth with Believers for currant Truth and an unquestionable principle though carnal Reason judgeth otherwise even that it bids Men loss Faith concludes with the Word that he that walketh uprightly walketh surely that Integrity is the best Policy when carnal Reason says that nothing sooner or more surely runs Men upon Rocks of danger Faith will give us to see that the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour even when such are commonly esteemed as the filth of the World and off-scouring of all things Thus Faith assents to divine Truth impartially 5. The Assent of true Faith is an holding Assent Men have not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato said a stable belief touching the Idea of Good The lusts of Mens Hearts are ever and anon streaming up and casting a Mist over their Minds Thus it is with the most They have a glimpse of their Truth sometimes but they soon shut it out There is great fickleness and inconstancy in their assent to the Truth A temporary Faith and a temporary Assent that comes and goes but stays not But Saving-Faith is such a Faith as is never lost And so its assent is holding and abiding They have damnation that cast off their first Faith 6. The Assent of true Faith is practical and efficacious It is an operative Assent According to that before-cited It acteth * Putásne Filium Dei repurat Jesum quisquis ille est homo qui ipsius nec terretur comminationibus nec attrahitur promissionibus nec praeceptis obtemperat nec consiliis acquiescit Nonne is etiam si fateatur se nosse Deum factis tamen negat Bern. in octav pasch Ser. 1. differently upon the belief of the Commands Threatnings and Promises of the Word That is it acteth suitably to the nature of each A belief of the Promises working Consent and Affiance a belief of the Threatnings Fear a belief of the Commands Obedience A dead Man is not a Man so neither is a dead Faith true Faith A sound Assent produceth a real
for their outward Man but are still shifting for themselves without eying God's Will and Word or Providence or if they know not how to help themselves are presently sinking in despondency and quite swallowed up with distrustful fears cares and grief Thus far of the several Acts of Faith It s proper Elicit Acts. I shall further add a few Scripture-notes whereby Saving-Faith may be known 1. Where Faith is Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 Vnto you which believe he is precious That which is called precious Faith will teach us to account Jesus Christ precious and all of Christ precious Thus to Believers the Person of Christ is precious 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love Believers that never saw him with their Eyes yet believing him to be such an one indeed as he is set forth in the Word they are exceedingly taken with him they cannot but admire him As the Spouse in Canticles was at a loss for expressions high enough to shew the loveliness and excellency of her Beloved After all that she had said in her description of him Cant. 5. she thinks her self very short and therefore concludes ver 16. Yea he is altogether lovely There is no true Believer but has high admiring thoughts of Christ sees him to be the chiefest of ten thousands To such his benefits are precious The Blood of Christ how precious 1 Pet. 1.18 19. And how precious are the benefits purchased by his Blood How do Believers prize a pardon How do such prize an Interest in Christ counting all things but loss and dung to that The Graces the Fruits of the Spirit how do they prize these above Riches above the most precious Fruits of the Earth The Love and Favour of Christ how do such prize it far above the Favour and Friendship of the World Lord do thou smile will such a Soul say and I can then be content though the World do frown Thy love is better than Wine Cant. 1.2 Nothing in the World would so chear the Hearts of the Faithful The presence of Christ Communion and Fellowship with Christ is highly prized of every believing Soul The Name of Christ is precious unto such and those things that bear his Name His Day the Lords Day accounted of above all other Days His Ordinances are prized The Doctrine of Christ as precious Ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 His Word more precious than Gold His Promises exceeding precious 2 Pet. 1.4 And Prayer is accounted a precious Priviledg even that we may ask the Father in his Name Believers would not for a World be without this Priviledg Thus Chist is precious to Believers and all of Christ his Person his Offices his Benefits his Ordinances all are precious But further that you may not be mistaken here thinking that you prize Christ when it may be the Lord sees you are yet such as dispise him take these two or three notes to try your selves by 1. If now Christ be precious to us as he is to them that believe then certainly we are come to see our former vileness when we had base low unworthy thoughts of him and when our carriage was nothing less than a contempt of him How oft was Christ with all his precious benefits graciously offered to us in the Gospel while we did most unreasonably and ungratefully reject him we would none of him How long did we prefer the World and our base Lusts before him when we were called on to follow Christ how shy how backward have we been as ashamed of him or having better thoughts of our old Masters the Lusts and Pleasures we have served which we were loth to forsake for him Oh our Sin and Folly that ever we despised such a precious Saviour What a shame is this that ever any of the Sons of Men should be ashamed of Christ And what horrible vileness is this for any of us to have base thoughts of Christ And have not they base thoughts of Christ indeed who prefer some base Lust before him Hath he deserved to be so slighted and set at nought As he said to the Jews when they were ready to stone him Many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of those works do ye stone me What After such unparallel'd Love and Compassion as he hath shewn towards us poor lost Sinners even when we were Enemies shewed in such a costly way as that of his most wonderful humiliation even to his dying a most painful shameful and accursed Death for us to purchase Pardon and Salvation for all that will accept him should we requite him so even reject him preferring his and our most deadly Enemies before him Was so great folly baseness and ingratitude ever heard of Surely if now we are come to see the worth of a Saviour and to prize him indeed we cannot but be greatly ashamed to think how we for trash and dung have sometimes trampled on that Pearl of greatest price Our former Sin of making light of Christ will now lye heavy and we shall be deeply humbled for it 2. If now Christ be precious to us as he is to them that believe then we have learnt to prize him above all things in the World Pray observe this we prize not Christ at all till we prize him above all You may perswade your selves Sirs that you have very good thoughts high thoughts of Christ as you can speak honourably of him but if you do not really prize him above your Profits your Pleasures your Credit or Honour or any thing you can have or expect in the World I must tell you you do shamefully undervalue him What low thoughts had Judas of the Lord Jesus who sold him for thirty peices of Silver the price of a Slave as some have noted from Exod. 21.32 the lowest price that the vilest of Men were rated at So do not they prize Christ at a goodly price that prefer worldly things before him Yea suppose one to have an equal love and estimation of Christ to that he hath of worldly things though indeed the Scales here are never even never at an aequipoise but the one or the other will weigh down yet if that were so it would not do Christ is set too low while any thing in the World is equalized to him and suffered to stand in competition with him Luk. 14.26 If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Hate not comparatively Loving in a less degree is sometimes termed hating in Scripture As Jacob is said to have hated Leah loving Rachel much more Gen. 29.30 31 33. But it would not have agreed with Jacob's Piety to have hated Leah taking the word strictly And to hate natural Parents is unnatural and impious and to hate ones self is against Nature and impossible That we must there understand a less degree of loving And as Christ will
be advanced above all the World in our Affection so will he be preferred in our account and estimation Indeed how can we love him above all if we do not prize him above all 3. If Christ be precious to us then certainly we cannot endure to see or hear Christ vilified and dishonoured It will grieve us at Heart to see this Pearl trodden under Foot We could be more content to be vilified for him than to see him contemned How would it move us to hear and see a special Friend whom we most highly esteem reproached and abused As Jonathan was grieved for David because his Father had done him shame 1 Sam. 20.34 That Christ is generally so lightly esteemed yea so much dishonoured in the World and that many of ours make light of him this will be very greivous to us if indeed Christ be precious to us And as Jonathan took David's part there we shall be ready to plead for Christ We would not have him despised of any if we can help it We would be commending him to others and especially to ours 4. If Christ be precious in our account we shall be restless and unsatisfied till we have in some good measure cleared up our Interest and propriety in him As the Apostle Phil. 3.8 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord. One that sees how precious Christ is cannot but earnestly desire to know further that he is his Jesus and his Lord. A Believer who sees his All bound up in Christ lose Christ and lose all how will he pray search use diligence to have his Interest in Christ evidenced and made sure As if a Man's title to House and Land and all he had in the World be in question he would not rest till he had got his title cleared 2. Saving Faith is Sanctifying Act. 26.18 Sanctified by Faith Act. 15.9 Purifying their Hearts by Faith No Salvation without Sanctification 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth Saving-Faith and Sanctification are linked together The one necessarily inferreth and draweth on the other Rolloc in loc pag. 295. Spiritus nos Sanctificans emanat quasi ex Christi sanguine fide apprehenso nobisque applicato Faith is nor only a part of Sanctification as it is a Grace and as other Graces are but as some call it a Mother-Grace and a Root-Grace from whence other Graces spring it is introductive of Sanctification and of other habitual Saving Grace As upon our first believing in Christ and accepting of him we are thereby interested in him and united to him not only to be justified by his merit but also to be sanctified by his Spirit As we are said to receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3.14 And Eph. 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Indeed it is by the special influx or operation of the Spirit that a Man puts forth the Act of Faith at first and upon this the Spirit is further given to dwell in him or a principle of Grace renewing sanctifying habits are wrought in him seated in his Soul still disposing and inclining unto gracious Acts to a life of Holiness and Obedience Christ is said to dwell in the Heart by Faith Eph. 3.17 He dwelleth in us by his Spirit And it is Faith that letteth in Christ and the Holy Spirit into the Heart to dwell there Thus Faith ushereth in the Spirit of Sanctification And so if any Man be in Christ by Faith he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Compare Gal. 5.6 with 6.15 In the former you have Faith in the latter a new Creature Thou art not a true Believer if thou art not a new Creature And as we enter into a state of Sanctification by Faith So by Faith we make progress in it As the Life which the Apostle lived after he came in to Christ was by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He was still drawing vertue from Christ and receiving of his fulness even Grace for Grace As Faith hath respect to the several parts of the Word not only Doctrines and Promises but Commands and Threatnings too So it hath an influence on all other Graces and hath an hand in all acts of Obedience that a Believer performs as we see in Heb. 11. Therefore if you would know whether you have Saving-Faith enquire seriously whether you are Sanctified by Faith And to give you some help here 1. Where Sanctifying Faith is there is not only an outward but an inward change Sanctifying-Grace is properly and immediately seated in the Soul as its Subject and the Soul is really changed by it though not as to its substance yet as to its qualities The Heart is new-moulded There are new dispositions inclinations and affections in the Soul It acteth from a new Principle and aimeth at other ends The Body is not changed by Grace either in substance or quality immediately but being under the government of a Soul that is sanctified and being a part of one that is by Grace truly resolved for God and his Service it will certainly be engaged and used for God too according to Rom. 6.19 Indeed such cannot be sanctified who are not so much as outwardly reformed Such as were known to be common Swearers Sabbath-breakers Drunkards c. and are so still one may pronounce them Vnclean Vnclean 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified To be sanctified and to live and continue in gross known Sin are estates directly opposite Yet there may be an outward reformation without true Sanctification Sanctification connotates a change of Heart and Life both Not a bare abstinence from the outward act of Sin but a mortifying of it and a dying to it Not a leaving it in practise only but a forsaking it in affection too That the Heart which was set upon its Lusts is now turned and set against them it now loaths what it was formerly in love with Now is thy heart purified Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine Heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved It is not enough to have hands washed but our Hearts must be cleansed if we would be saved Psal 24.3 4. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord He that hath clean hands and a pure Heart What is it to live free from gross Sins to be no Extortioner Oppressor Swearer Drunkard Adulterer c. but to be like a whited Sepulchre which appears beautiful outward but within is full of all uncleanness as the Pharisees that outwardly appeared righteous unto Men but within were full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity What is it for one to change his Life and Course while his Heart and Mind is not changed Though he that was given to Stealing should steal no more and he that was given to Lying Cursing Swearing
Life REpentance is not a more common than necessary Subject It is part of the Foundation of Christianity Heb. 6.1 And without true Repentance Mens hopes of Salvation are built on the Sand. I do not say that any Man is saved for his Repentance yet speaking of the Adult we must say that none are or can be saved without it Except ye repent ye shall perish Luk. 13.3 5. Repent and be Converted that your Sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 without Repentance no Pardon no Remission and consequently no Salvation But what is this Repentance unto Life And how may it be known In the late Confession of Faith chap. 15. a good and full account is given of it viz. By it a Sinner out of the sight and sense not only of the danger but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his Sins as contrary to the Holy Nature and Righteous Law of God and upon the apprehension of his Mercy in Christ to such as are penitent so grieves for and hates his Sins as to turn from them all unto God purposing and endeavouring to walk with him in all the wayes of his Commandments The Subject of Repentance is a Sinner Mat. 9.13 I am not come to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance In Paradise while Man retained his Innocency which indeed was but a while he had no need of Repentance In Heaven the Saints are made Perfect in Holiness and so have no more occasion for Repentance The Subject of Repentance is a Sinner Yea a Sinner of some hopes In Hell a place full of Sin as ever it can hold there is no hope of obtaining Pardon or finding Mercy and so no place for Repentance Hell that is full of Despair has no place for Repentance Only upon Earth as there is no Man that liveth and sinneth not and as God hath graciously promised pardon to all that truely Repent here is both an engagement upon Sinners and encouragement for Sinners to Repent Some go further and make the Subject of Repentance a believing Sinner Supposing that Faith in order of Nature goes before Repentance As I conceive the principle or habit of Faith and of Repentance and other Graces are infused together But by the special help and operation of God's Spirit the Soul is first inabled to put forth a gracious act in consenting to the terms of Gods Covenant actually closing with and accepting of Christ as he is there offered upon which the Spirit of Grace is given to dwell in the Heart gracious habits are implanted in the Soul as a new nature inclining it to such acts Which I could wish added to what I have written in a former Treatise scil of the Covenants p. 224 225. Now though the general assenting Act of Faith must necessarily be supposed to go before Repentance as it is in the Will Cathol Theol. lib. 1. par 2. p. 84. as Mr. B. noteth yet a Man cannot truly accept of Christ as a perfect Saviour without a sense and feeling of the burthen of his Sins and being humbled under it nor can he accept of Christ as Lord and King without a resolution and hearty purpose of turning from all Sin unto the Lord. That in the very first act of Faith as saving there is Repentance also included Repentance may be thus distinguished 1. It is either initial or continued Initial Repentance at a Man's first Confession Continued that which follows through the course of ones Life afterwards 2. There is an habitual and virtual Repentance a Disposition or Inclination to mourn for and turn from all our Sins as we come to have our Sins discovered to us And actual formal Repentance actually grieving at loathing resolving and striving against the Sins we have found out and are convinced of 3. There is an ordinary Repentance daily practised for daily ordinary failings and a special extraordinary Repentance exercised upon some foul Fall sad Declining or Backsliding as in David's and in Peter's case Renewed Repentance as some call it in regard of some sad Interruption before Yet these Distinctions do not imply various kinds of Repentance but only different degrees There are two main essential constitutive Parts of true Repentance viz. Humiliation and Reformation or Contrition and Conversion A mourning for Sin after a godly sort 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a turning from Sin unto God Now first Of godly Sorrow for Sin The Hebrew Word nacham and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latine * Poenitet me quod poena tener me Poenitet est idem quod â—edet vel piget Poenitet all shew Repentance to have Grief and Sorrow in it A Man that grieves not for what he hath done amiss repents not Yea there is no right forsaking of Sin without an hearty Sorrow for it There is a Rending of the Heart for Sin before it is rent from Sin Quest But how shall a Man know whether his Sorrow for Sin be right 1. Right Sorrow for Sin is upon right Grounds As the Lord says Hos 7.14 They have not cried unto me when they howled upon their Beds And Zech. 7.5 Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me So there are many that cry out of their Sins are troubled about their Sins that yet do not sorrow after a godly sort but have respect only to themselves Many are troubled for Sin not as contrary to God but only as mischievous or injurious to themselves not as it dishonoureth God but as it brings shame and disgrace upon themselves not as it displeaseth God but as it subjecteth them to his Wrath and Curse not as God is offended by it but as they are like to suffer for it Many only respect the Shame or Punishment felt or feared Now that Humiliation which comes only from Pride cannot be sound Humiliation And that Sorrow which is meerly from self-respect cannot be godly Sorrow Hard-hearted Pharaoh would sometimes confess his Sin under the sence of an heavy Plague so wicked Ahab could humble himself under the fear of Judgment threatned while far enough from true Repentance And as there is a Principle of self-love planted in all Men the wickedst Man on Earth would not be miserable for ever is not willing to be damned And so when a Sinners Conscience is awakened that he sees himself obnoxious to God's everlasting Wrath and to the torments of Hell for ever no wonder if he be full of horror Nature only without the least dram of Grace would teach one under such terrors to cry out with Judas Oh! I have sinned Thus a Sinner under Convictions may have stronger passionate Workings of Grief than gracious Souls have ordinarily The Passion of Grief may be very much stirred when yet there is no godly Sorrow Though I grant it is lawful to be troubled for Sin as it is against our selves But if we are troubled for Sin only as against our selves not as against God such Trouble is privatively sinful Godly Sorrow is not
find out all that have suffered by them as they would manifest their Repentance to be serious must be ready to do good to all as they have opportunity and must so much the more abound in Acts of Charity as before they have abounded in the contrary Quest But what if a Man hath been so injurious to others that his whole Estate will not make Satisfaction Answ This is a sad Case indeed But he ought to go as far as he can in satisfying those whom he hath wronged and what he cannot do at present he must resolve and be willing to promise to make full satisfaction when God makes him able unless the injured and suffering Party freely release and discharge him Yea when he cannot do it of himself he should improve his Interest in Friends if they would be perswaded to help him out And this is certain that true Peace of Conscience cannot be bought too dear though all a Man hath in the World goes for it In this Case a Man should be for undoing his Sin so far as he can although it would be his undoing in the World 2. When a Man by extream Poverty is quite disabled to make Satisfaction for the Wrongs he hath done Though the Act thus becoming impossible be not necessary yet the Will I say a Will to satisfy if he was able or when he shalll be able is necessary without which there is no Evidence of his true Repentance of the Sin or that the Sin is pardoned There must be a serious and hearty willingness to do it if a man be in a capacity to do it and this ought to afflict him more than simple Poverty that he cannot do it 6. One that is indeed turned from Sin ordinarily is very careful to avoid Occasions of Sin ordinarily fears to run upon Temptations As the burnt Child dreads the Fire 7. Such an one having his Heart turned against Sin ordinarily shunneth and abstaineth from the very appearance of Evil what looketh like Sin he is wont to startle at he would keep as far from Sin as may be he fears to come near it 8. Such a one would turn others from Sin too He would not that others should walk on in Sin if he can hinder it He is opposing Sin in others especially in those who are near and dear to him and in whom he hath most Interest And such as formerly he was drawing to Sin he will look on himself as doubly engaged to do what he can to help them out of the Snare Thus such as have been notorious in Sin and Wickedness after Conversion are ordinarily seen to be most zealous against it 9. One that rightly turneth from Sin would never return to it more He will say as Ephraim What have I to do any more with Idols Sometimes a Sinner and his Lust seem to be fallen out but they are soon piec'd again He may be angry with Sin for a fit but does not hate and forsake it Now when the unclean Spirit returns after he seem'd to be cast out he useth to get stronger possession that the last Estate of that Man is worse than the first Luk. 11.24 25 26. The Apostle Peter speaketh after the like manner of such as had escaped the Pollutions of the World but were afterwards again intangled and overcome as the Dog returns to his Vomit The latter End says he is worse with them than the beginning 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. But a right forsaking of Sin is set forth by such Expressions as plucking out the right Eye cutting off the right Hand Mat. 5.29 30. and there is no restoring any of these Members when separated from the Body And by crucifying the Flesh Gal. 5.24 And mortifying the earthly Members Col. 3.5 In true Repentance Sin receives its Death's Wound Though it stir and struggle still its Head is broken yea it is wounded at the Heart so wounded that it can never recover its full Power and Dominion Now it is dying though but a lingring Death How many that do but seemingly oppose that desire not resolve not on the Death of Sin They are but like Fencers they do not fight in good earnest As Fencers sometimes seem to be in a deadly Feud while secretly they are in League and very good Friends Some reform for a fit but soon face about and as Lot's Wife look back upon Sodom Some part with their Sins as Mariners throw their Goods over-board in a Storm who are ready to gather them up again when the Storm is over so they will seek their Lusts again Such a temporary Reformation is little worth This is not the Repentance never to be repented of There is Joy in Heaven over a Sinner that truly repents and turns from Sin but when a Sinner is for returning to his old Sins again none but the Devils and wicked Men can be pleased with this fight True it is a godly Man oft sinneth against his Resolution but he sinneth not with Resolution as the ungodly do His Will and Resolution is still against Sin though Corruption remaining in him raised by the Violence of Temptation swelleth and floweth over the Bank of his set Resolution 10. He that truly forsakes Sin turneth so from Sin that withal he turneth unto God And thus I come to the Term unto which the repenting Sinner turneth For one to rest here that he has left such and such Sins unto which he was addicted is in Portu impingere to suffer Shipwrack in the Haven And how sad is that An half-turn would prove Men but almost Christians And they that are almost Christians are but almost saved The Repentance which Paul preached was Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto God Acts 20.21 As Repentance has one Eye on Sin to mourn for it and to shun and avoid it so it hath another Eye towards God to turn to him and follow him Jer. 4.1 If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me Quest How may a Man know that he turneth unto God aright Answ 1. When the Heart is turned unto God that is right Whatever a Man doth in Religion without the Heart is to no purpose as not done at all Prayer without the Heart is vain Babling and Service presented to God without the Heart is but a vain Oblation If we would seek the Lord so as to find him we must search for him with all our Hearts That is but a feigned Turning to God which is without the Heart Jer. 3.10 Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole Heart but feignedly saith the Lord. How can we say that we are turned to God if our Hearts are not with him if our Hearts incline more another way We cannot deny but naturally they are set upon Sin and the World and averse from God so far are Mans Hearts corrupted by the Fall But are our Hearts now changed Are they turned and now chiefly set upon God Is God the Center towards whom our Hearts now most incline
Are they set upon him as the chiefest Good If not we have not as yet turned to him 2. When a Man is turned to God he will shake off his sinful Companions and joyn himself to such as fear God yea his Heart will cleave to such He can no longer delight in the Company of those who make it their work and pastime both to dishonour God and would draw him to do the like But his Delight is in the Saints such as bear God's Image As the Psalmist I am a Companion of all them that fear thee But Depart from me ye Evil-Doers for I will keep the Commandments of my God 3. One that is turned to God will be for turning others to him If we are turned to God it will grieve us to see others and especially to see any of ours strangers to him and at a great distance from him walking contrary to him If we are brought home to God we shall be inclined to pity and pray for poor Sinners that still ly out from God that seek not after him Oh think we what Enemies these are to themselves Alas how do they forsake their own Mercy to follow lying Vanities We shall desire whatever the Success be that we may not omit our Duty but may tell them of the evil of their ways as we have opportunity and endeavour to reclaim them The Righteous would be turning others to Righteousness 4. One that is turned to God is for walking with him Now he is for walking in God's ways Repentance softneth the Heart and so prepares it to receive an Impression from God's Word which the stony hard and impenitent Heart resisteth And where Sin as Sin is grievous there God's Commands are not grievous but such a Soul will desire and delight to obey them A Soul that is turned to God will fear to walk contrary to him in any way of Disobedience Such a one would keep close to God His Care Study and Indeavour is to walk in all the Commandments of the Lord blameless Thus sound Repentance will produce sincere Obedience And this is bringing forth Fruits and doing Works meet for Repentance Mat. 3.8 Acts 26.20 to obey God's Commands sincerely and impartially A meer external Obedience is not enough but we must obey from the Heart A partial Obedience is not enough but we must have a Respect unto all God's Commands not allowing our selves to neglect or transgress any one Precept either of the first or second Table As we would prove that we are indeed turned to God we must make it our Care to walk uprightly before him 5. If indeed we are turned to God we would be getting still nearer and nearer to him As the Psalmist My Soul followeth hard after thee We shall follow on to know the Lord and to enjoy more of him We shall be for more conformity to God and for more communion with him One that is turned to God is not for standing at a stay in Religion He would be making progress in Heaven's way in the way of Holiness 6. One that is turned to God now cleaveth to him with purpose of Heart His resolution is by the help of Divine Grace to follow the Lord fully So if we are turned to God we would no more turn away from him We have enough of departing from God we would never more wickedly depart from him The remembrance of our former course will oft make our Hearts sad Have we not found it an evil thing and bitter that formerly we forsook the Lord that his fear was not in us So our Hearts will smite us now when we have been stepping a little aside It will grieve us that we do not at all times keep so close to God as we ought And we shall dread the thoughts of departing from God more than of parting with all we have in the World As the Church Psal 44.17 18. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee our Heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way So we shall desire whatever befalleth us in the World for his sake that we may never be false to him may never more forsake him But Apostacy is a dreadful sign of Impenitency AN APPENDIX Referring to the Trial of Repentance or Turning from Sin ROM 6.14 For Sin shall not have Dominion over you THe best are not freed from the in-being and in-dwelling of Sin here 1 Joh. 1.8 If we say that we have no Sin we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us Yet all that are in a state of Grace are freed from the Dominion of Sin And where Sin is not mortified it is mortal That it greatly concerns every one strictly to enquire whether Sin be subdued or yet reigning in him Alas How many account their Sins no more than Infirmities when indeed they are reigning A most dangerous deceit As there are many on the other hand truly gracious who feeling the stirrings of Corruption are thence ready to conclude or at least fear and suspect they are still under the Dominion of Sin Now I shall shew you briefly how you may know whether Sin hath Dominion over you Or whether by Grace you are freed from Sins Dominion By the Dominion of Sin here I understand not the actual Prevalence of some Sin for a fit but the habitual Power of Sin whereby a Man is in a state of Subjection to Sin That the Question amounts to thus much Whether a Principle of Grace or Corruption be chief Ruler and Commander in you I premise these two or three things 1. A Man cannot possibly be at the same time both under the Dominion of Sin and also under the Rule and Government of Grace A Man cannot be a Servant of Sin and a Servant of Righteousness both together None can serve two Masters so contrary It is a clear and sufficient proof we are not in a state of Grace if we be under the dominion of Sin 2. We are all naturally under the dominion of Sin This all that understand and acknowledg Mans Fall and Original Sin must acknowledg And the Scripture abounds in the proof of it 3. Therefore unless we have been changed by renewing sanctifying Grace we are still under the power and dominion of Sin These things are plain and undeniable Now First I shall discover certain false signs whereupon many without ground conclude they are not under the dominion of Sin 1. You may not be sensible of the commanding domineering Power of Sin and yet be really under the dominion of Sin As on the other hand a Man may feel the workings and stirrings of Corruption who is not under the full Power and Dominion of it Sin ruleth by way of enticing not by Force and Violence It s chief Seat and Throne is in the Will and the less Reluctancy in the Will against Sin the greater is its Power and Dominion And Insensibleness of Sin is a great sign of its Strength and Prevalence A sick
Man's case is many times most sad when he has no sense of his Sickness 2. You may not be under Terrors of Conscience for Sin and yet may be under the Dominion of Sin While the strong Man keeps his Palace all is in Peace An evil Conscience may be a quiet Conscience may be lull'd asleep for a time 3. You may be under the arrest of your own Consciences Conscience may shake and terrifie you and thus you may be brought to a kind of remorse for Sin and yet not freed from the Dominion of Sin Sinner wouldest thou fain put off Conscience dost thou indeavour to do all thou canst to stop its Mouth to still its Clamours Art thou far from joyning and taking part with Conscience against thy Lusts Then it is plain thou art joyned to thy Lusts And whatever trouble thou hast for sins committed if it does not weaken the Power and Habit of Sin in thee if it be not joyned with a serious purpose and resolution against Sin if thou art as ready to commit the same Sin again when a Temptation and Opportunity is offered thy Repentance is little better than a Mock-repentance 4. Thou mayest have a kind of Conflict within thy self against Sin and yet be under the Dominion of Sin For 1. Sometimes one Lust makes head against another Though all Sins agree in their general Nature as contrary to the holy Law of God yet some Sins disagree in respect of their particular Objects and Interests So Pride may set against such Sins as would bring a Man to shame and disgrace So a Sinner's Covetousness may cross a costly expensive Lust which otherwise he has a mind on 2. Or the Conflict in a Sinner is thus his Will is to serve and satisfy such a Lust but his Conscience is against it Thus a Sinner hath many sad checks of Conscience sore against his Will The Conscience of many a natural Man does not only oft accuse and condemn him for Sins committed but also sometimes does check menace and terrify him when he is about the commission of Sin while yet the Will is predominantly set upon Sin As there may be Insurrections great Stirs and Busles in a Kingdom against its Government and yet the Government not be cast off but may prevail and suppress those Insurrections So Conscience is stirring in a Sinner sometimes it riseth up against such or such a Lust but for all that there is a stronger Party within a corrupt Will a depraved Appetite and Affections that adhere to it still and keep it in the Throne 5. A Child of God may fall into the same Sin materially and yet that be but a Sin of Infirmity in him which may be a reigning Sin in thee Though thou mayest sometimes see those that are better than thy self overtaken with Passion or see them sometimes immoderate spending too much precious time in Sports and Recreations c. And yet Sinner know there is a difference betwixt their falling into a Sin and thy living and lying still in it There is a difference betwixt their being sometimes foiled by it and thy yielding up thy self fully to it There is a difference betwixt their serious repenting of it and breaking off a Course of Sin and thy allowing and full liking of it and holding on thy Course 6. Thou mayest be free from all gross Sins and yet be under the Dominion of Sin Though Divines sometimes distinguish betwixt a partial and a total Dominion of Sin and say further that a partial Dominion of Sin may stand with a State of Grace but not a total yet here you must not understand them as if by partial Dominion they meant the Dominion of some Sins only and by total the Dominion of all kind of Sins That is not their meaning But that is the full and total compleat and absolute Dominion of Sin when a Man freely peaceably fully ex studio ex animo gives up himself to any known Sin whether it be scandalous or not whether it be open or secret And the partial Dominion of Sin with them is when Sin gets Mastery for a time when there is not an actual or at least not a prevalent Resistance and Opposition of Sin as to some particular Acts and yet Sin gets not full and peaceable possession but there is the Spirit lusting and striving against the Flesh there is a Principle of Reluctance to that Sin a Man is drawn to commit that though at present he be worsted by it yet he yields not up himself to it But as one has the Comparison as there are several Forms of Government or Dominion as Democracy Aristocracy and Monarchy Sometimes the Dominion is exercised by many sometimes by one alone yet Subjection to any of them is true Subjection and sets up Dominion So though in some more Sins bear rule together in others some one Sin bears chief rule yet a full willing Subjection to Sin whether one or more proves the Dominion of Sin Thus though thou keepest free from gross scandalous Sins yet if thou freely allowest thy self to continue in other Sins in any known Sin thou art the Servant of Sin and Sin hath Dominion over thee Yea note further Thou mayest live in those Sins which yet break not forth into the outward Act. While Sin hath the Command of the Heart it hath Dominion And thus thou art an unclean Person who allowest thy self and delightest in speculative Wickedness though thou never didst commit the Act of Uncleanness Lusting after a Woman is committing adultery in the heart Mat. 5.28 So thou mayest be a meer Sensualist a Swine a Brute though thou never drinkest unto drunkenness and never eatest to gluttonous excess if thou only designest the pleasing of thy Appetite and Palate if thou lookest no higher than to the pleasing of the Flesh So Covetousness may be a reigning Sin in thee though thou art not to be charged with hording up riches that should be laid out to the glory of God and good of others though thou hast never so little of the World in thy possession yet thou mayest be a covetous Man and an Idolater if thy Heart be full of inordinate love to worldly Riches 7. You may be morally honest just in your dealings charitable to the poor your Lives may be adorned with a shew of many fair moral Vertues and yet you may remain under the Dominion of Sin and in an ungodly State As you may still be without the true Fear of God and without Love to God and may have no care to serve him Sin shews and exercises its ruling Power and Dominion not only in commanding but in forbidding not only in putting Men upon the works of the Flesh but in keeping them off from a Course of Piety As one If Sin have a negative Voice in your Religion whether God shall be worshipped and obeyed or not it is your King Not seeking not serving God is enough to prove thee ungodly Living in the neglect of
to wallow in the Mire 6. This is a sure Sign that a Man is not under the Dominion of Sin when his Heart is turned to hate all known Sin As the Apostle though he was not without Sin yet he was not in love in league with any Sin no it was the thing he hated Rom. 7.15 If thou art an Enemy to Sin to all known Sin then certainly thou art not a willing Subject to it A Man would not take and chuse him for his Master whom he hates If now it is thy great care to shun and avoid Sin as an Enemy and the greatest Enemy thou hast in the World and if thou settest against Sin as thy worst Enemy and nothing will satisfy thee but the Death of Sin if thou art daily bestirring thy self to beat down a Body of Sin to mortify thy earthly Members to crucify the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof this Hatred and Opposition of Sin is one of the clearest and best Evidences thou canst have that thou art not under the Dominion of Sin And where Sin is not habitually more hated than loved it has Dominion But where there is such an habitual Hatred of Sin though remaining In-dwelling Corruption prevails too oft so far as to draw a Man to commit the Act of Sin yet he is not thereupon reconciled to Sin and for a sinful Course But when the Temptation is over when he comes to himself to act according to the Principle and Habit of Grace within him he cannot but loath himself and abhor that Sin As Zanchy Ac certum est electos renatos Tom. 7. p. 257. antequam peccent odisse peccatum malle mori quà m peccare postquam peccârunt dolere odisse peccatum quum peccant peccare non cum odio Legis aut contemptu Dei sed ex infirmitate Fidei Thus though Sin gets Victory sometimes yet it never obtains a full Conquest A gracious Soul though he hath been worsted again and again will be for renewing the Fight So the Dominion of Sin cannot be concluded from its violent assaults on the Soul but rather one may conclude the contrary from the Hatred and hearty Opposition of it If the Sins which most prevail against thee are the greatest trouble to thee and nothing in the World would so glad thy Heart as to be rid of them If the Pardon of Sin alone would not satisfy thee without Power against it 't is a good Sign that Sin has not Dominion over thee 7. Thou mayest know thou art not under the Dominion of Sin if indeed thou hast chosen and heartily accepted of a new Lord if thou hast sincerely resigned up thy self to God and Jesus Christ If it be so that Christ is now Lord and Master in thee then certainly thou art not a Servant of Sin Thou canst not be under both these Masters While thou wast a Subject and a Servant of Sin thou wast a Rebel against God a Rebel against Jesus Christ But if now thy Heart and Will is to be governed by God and Christ to come under his Laws the Government of Sin is cast off If the prevailing Bent of thy Will and the general Course of thy Life proves thee to be most for obeying God and subjecting thy self to the Rule of his holy Word if thou wouldest not allow thy self in any thing thou knowest to be cross and contrary to his Will if it is the grief of thy Soul that thou canst not obey him perfectly if thou wouldest not have a Dispensation to break any Command of his but have Grace and Strength to keep them Then thou hast changed thy Master Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves to obey his Servants ye are More I might add but I chuse to conlude with some Passages out of Reverend Mr. Baxter Thus he saith He that seldom or never committeth such external Crimes and yet loveth not God Christian Directory pag. 428. and Heaven and Holiness above all the Pleasures and Interests of the Flesh is in a state of Death under the Dominion of Sin Again It is certain that his Love to God and Holiness is not prodominant whose carnal Interest and Lust hath ordinarily in the drift and tenour of his Life more power to draw him to the wilful committing of known Sin than the said Love of God and Heaven and Holiness have to keep him from it Rom. 6.16 He that will sin thus as oft as will stand with saving Grace shall never have the Assurance of his Sincerity or the Peace or Comfort of a sound Believer till he repent and lead a better Life Again He that in his Sin retaineth that habitual Divine Love hath also habitual vertual Repentance for that very Sin before he actually repenteth because he hath that habitual Hatred of it which will cause actual Repentance when he is composed to act according to his predominant Habits Again There are some Sins which all Men continue in or the best are not freed from while they live as Defect in the degrees of Faith Hope Love c. Vain Thoughts Words Passions c. Where the evil is prevalent in the Will against the good so far as to commit those Sins though not so far as to vitiate the Bent of the Heart or Life Again That which is apprehended to be either of doubtful evil or but a little sin will be much less resisted and oftner committed than Sins that are clearly apprehendeded to be great Now if this Apprehension be wrong and come from the predominancy of a carnal or ungodly Heart which will not suffer the Understanding to do its Office nor to take that to be evil which he would not leave then both the Judgment and the Sin occasioned by it are mortal and not mortified pardoned Sins Again Though it is true that all good Christians should not indulge the smallest Sin and that true Grace will make a Man willing to forsake the least yet No good Men rise up with so great and constant watchfulness against an idle Thought or Word or Disorder in Prayer c. as they do against an hainous Sin Some things I pass over being touched at before I shall only add one Note more though already hinted at There are some Sins so easily known to be Sins Cathol Theo l. part 2. pag. 104. and so notoriously calling the Conscience to repent that to lie in them unrepented of long when the sudden violent Temptation and Passion is over and a Man hath opportunity to act according to his setled Habit will not consist with the truth of an Habit of Love to God and Holiness and of Hatred to Sin Of Love to God John 5.42 But I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you HOw sad is it if the like may be said of us How many that will say He is not worthy to live that does not love God And yet the Lord knows they are such themselves as have
worldly comforts Would an interest in God with us weigh down all the World This is a surer evidence of true love to God if the settled bent and inclination of our Souls be towards him than any sudden transports and flashes of affection or passionate workings or ravishments that come and go and leave not the Soul in such a frame Well lay up this Note and try and judg of your selves by it So much as the Will is inclined towards God and the Heart set upon him above all things in the World so much there is of the Grace of Love so far a Soul loveth God in sincerity 5. If we love God indeed than we cannot be satisfied without an interest in God and we cannot but earnestly desire to have our interest in him cleared to us I do not say we must know our special propriety in him that he is our God before we can truly love him No but a true love to God is that which must evidence God's especial love to us and our special interest in God By being such as love God we may know we are in special relation to him of the number of those who are the Called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 But if we love him indeed we shall long to come to a sense of his love and to see our special interest in him As the Psalmist Psal 119.58 I intreated thy favour thy face with my whole heart Lord one good look one smile from thee A little in the World with God's favour would give us more content than the whole World without it As the Spouse says Cant. 6.3 I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine So if God hath our love we shall be restless till we can say that he is ours till we can call him our own As they that are in love cannot injoy themselves unless they may obtain their Beloved As they say Love would be paid in its own coin If we love God we cannot be content unless we may be in his Eyes as them who find favour So we shall desire rather to enjoy the light of his Countenance than the greatest affluence of worldly comforts as Psal 4.6 7. But are not most of us of another mind How many that are more intent upon the World to get Estates here than to get an interest in God How many who if they may have the World smiling on them never regard though they are under God's frowns How many that seek the favour and friendship of Men more than the favour of God Doubtless such have not the love of God in them 6. If we have the love of God in us then we shall greatly desire and delight in his presence and mourn take on sadly in his absence Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God Psal 101.2 O when wilt thou come unto me If we love God we shall long for his gracious visits It will be our delight to draw nigh to God in holy Duties in his Ordinances and especially when we can find the Lord drawing nigh to our Souls as we are joyed at the coming of a special friend And as intimate friends are not content to be long asunder we shall not be satisfied without God's presence As Moses said Exod. 33.15 If thy presence go not with me carry us not hence He would have chosen to be in a Wilderness with God's presence rather than to enjoy a Canaan without it so if we have the love of God in us we shall rather desire to be in affliction and have his presence with us than to enjoy great worldly prosperity without him So we shall account this one of the saddest afflictions if the Lord withdraws and estrangeth himself from us as the Psalmist Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled We know not how to bear his frowns In such a case we shall have many sad and serious self-reflections often asking our Souls What is the matter what have we done that the Lord takes unkindly that has set him at such a distance We shall not rest till we have found out the cause and removed it till this sad breach be made up and we restored to our communion with God If indeed our hearts be with him we can no longer enjoy our selves than we enjoy him A soul that loves God cannot but say It is not good Lord for me to be alone counting it an Heaven upon Earth to enjoy him but an Hell to live without him in the World As the Needle touch'd with the Loadstone will be turning to such a point the Heart being touch'd with the love of God will be moving and inclining towards him it cannot rest but in the enjoyment of him as Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee Such a soul is in a trembling posture and is fainting for him when the Lord carrieth more strange when he hides his face Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God my soul even fainteth This is Love's sickness Are we thus sick of Love as the Spouse was Cant. 5.8 There is a lamenting love as well as a delighting love As the Child crieth for its Mother As we are grieved at the loss or long absence of a dear friend Absence is the Lover's night God's absence makes the darkest and faddest night to the souls of his People My soul fainteth for the Courts of the Lord because there he was wont to have fights of God Psal 63.2 there he was wont to enjoy sweet communion with him And my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God He would send his hearty and carnest cries after him So if we love God we shall seek him still though he be a God that sometimes hideth himself Isa 45.15 Thus the Spouse shewed how her heart went after her Beloved whenshe sought him in the streets of the City sought him in the broad ways Cant. 3.2 went about up and down seeking him and could not rest till she had found him As they shewed how they were taken with their Idols Jer. 8.2 Whom they have loved and whom they have served and after whom they have walked and whom they have sought By love the Soul is knit to the Lord and cleaveth to him Deut. 11.12 and it must needs go fore with such a soul to be parted to be separated from him Nothing in the World can be more grievous to it 7. If we have the love of God in us while we are our selves are in our right frame and act like our selves we are breathing after and longing for the full enjoyment of God in Glory We desire and are glad of his presence with us here yet are not satisfied therewith but set a longing after Heaven where our love to God shall be perfect our communion with him more immediate and our joy in him full so if we love God how
of the World than we are at God's command and that habitually and ordinarily it is plain we prefer our selves and honour the Creature above God and while it is thus how can we say that we love him If we love God we shall follow him and love to walk in his ways As they said of their Idols Jer. 2.25 I have loved strangers and after them will I go Had they loved God indeed they would have been for following him and not strangers The counsel of a special friend is much regarded and surely if we love God we shall not despise his counsels Psal 119.128 I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right He approved of them all he would not have any one of God's Laws nulled and abrogated To love the Lord to walk in all his ways and to cleave to him are conjoyned Deut. 11.22 And to love the Lord and to walk ever in his ways Deut. 19.9 So the love of God will incline souls to sincere impartial and constant obedience 14. If we love God we shall desire to be more like him Eph. 5.1 Be followers of God as dear Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitators though we cannot be like him in respect of those Attributes stiled incommunicable Our first Parents fell from God when they affected to be as Gods And in some other respect too we may not be like him We may not act for our own glory as God does This would entrench upon the glory due from us to God and cross the end of our beings Yet if we love God we shall desire to be like him so far as we may There is an assimulating vertue and power in love We are ready to imitate those we love Their example is very moving and is wont to take much with us If we love God we shall desire that we may have hearts after his heart to love that which he loves and to hate that which he hates Amicorum idem velle idem nolle We shall desire to be holy as he is holy and merciful as he is merciful and perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect Though it is impossible for any Creature to be as holy as merciful as perfect as God is Though an equality here is not to be thought of yet a likeness and similitude a conformity to God in our measure such as we may attain to we must study and endeavour and this the love of God would put us upon But if we rather wish that God was altogether such a one as our selves if we rather desire that he would come down to us and comply with allow of our crooked Tempers and Manners than to have our souls raised up to him by the restoring of his Image and a divine Nature wrought in us it would shew indeed that we are little taken with him but rather how little cause soever there is for it we are still in love with our sinful selves 15. If we love God we shall highly account of his favours We shall not despise common benefits as coming from him but we shall most prize any special Love-token he hath given us We set a value on Mercies according as God's love appears in them When Tamar had got Judah's Signet and Bracelets she would not part with them for a Kid. One would have prized a kiss of Cyrus above the golden Cup he gave him The soul that loves God will value spiritual Mercies above temporal enjoyments The consolations of God will not be small in such a ones account His comforts will be more desired longed for or if enjoyed will more delight and refresh the soul than any worldly comforts And the more we love God the more we shall praise him for any intimations and expressions of his love We shall delight to tell others what he hath done for our souls as the Psalmist Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul Psal 103.1 2 3 4. This would in part shew we love God for himself and not only for his Benefits if indeed we set the highest value and account on those Benefits wherein we might read his special love But they that would account more of the Birth-right than of the Blessing and set more store by Corn and Wine than they could do by the light of God's Countenance shew little love to God 16. If we love God we are for putting a good construction on his severest dispensations We would not take any thing unkindly from him We are not for entertaining hard thoughts of God Si mihi irascatur Deus num illi ego similiter reirasear non utique sed pavebo sed contremiseam sed veniam deprecabor Ita si me arguat not redarguetur à me sed ex me potius justificabitur Nec si me judicabit judicabo ego eum sed adorabo Bern. in Cant. Scr. 83. though he shew us hard things We shall desire to keep up good thoughts of God still but have worse thoughts of our selves When he afflicts us we shall fall out with our selves fall out more with Sin not be displeased at him We shall still follow him even though he walk contrary to us as Isa 26.8 9. When we are chastened of him we shall not censure his dealings but judge our selves We shall be ready to justify God and to condemn our selves acknowledging God to be righteous and to punish less than our iniquities deserve If we cry to God and he seem not to hear we shall not hereupon take pett but conclude with the Psalmist Psal 22.2 3. Yet thou art holy Indeed we shall be ready in our troubles to complain to him as we use in trouble to complain to our friends but we would not complain of him If we love God Afflictions will not ordinarily drive us from God but rather drive us nearer to him If he shews his displeasure it will grieve us most that we have displeased him that we have offended our good and gracious Father that we have provoked the God of Patience a God so rich in Mercy And so we shall be for humbling our selves and making our peace with him But if when we are afflicted instead of accepting of the punishment of our Iniquities and humbling our selves and seeking his face our hearts do nothing but fret against the Lord we are strange Children We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence and if we are not much rather in subjection to the Father of Spirits we shew not a childlike disposition And how sad is it if in our afflictions we are ready to say with him of whom we read This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer How sad is it when Crosses that should crucify and deaden our hearts more to the World have this contrary effect deadning them towards God and towards holy Duties That we have less heart to serve God have less
David 1 Sam. 18.1 And here is no respect of persons but a respect of goodness to love them best who are best But if on the contrary a Man only beareth with Holiness in a lower degree and with such as may be Godly in the main but very remiss too much complying with the manners of the World or perhaps can afford such a good word sometimes saying such are honest sober moderate Men when he would thereby condemn those who are more forward when he utterly dislikes and his heart is rising against those whose hearts are lifted up in the ways of God when he cannot endure such as are more exactly conscientious and more zealous for God when he is barking at them as Hot-spurs Fanaticks and I know not what or if he lash them not with the tongue yet his heart is full of envy against them what can this shew but a graceless spirit And let such a one know that the love of God is not in him If the holiness of a Saint be such an eye-sore to thee for which thou canst not affect him how canst thou love God who is Holiness it self There is none holy as the Lord he is infinitely holy If the light of the Moon offends thee which yet shines not without its spots how canst thou bear the surpassing brightness of the Sun it self And how unmeet art thou for fellowship with the Saints in Heaven with the Spirits of Just Ones made perfect who canst not away with such as have attained to any eminent degree of holiness here The Saints in Heaven are more holy than any of those thou thinkest too strict too precise Perhaps thou wilt say 1. Thou couldst love and honour them if they were as good as they seem but they are Hypocrites they do but make a show Answ And dost thou indeed hate Hypocrisie O then take heed that thou beest not guilty of Hypocrisie in this very plea pretending that thou canst not love them because they are not so good as they seem when in very deed thou couldst like well of them if they were worse than they are Again Though it is true Hypocrites there will be among the Saints here yet take heed that thou dost not censure and condemn those as Hypocrites whom the Lord accepteth and approveth of as sincere and upright Thy hard censures cannot hurt and prejudice them so much as thy self The Devil accused Job to be no better than an Hypocrite As he is called The Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12.10 That this is a Diabolical Practice And to justifie the Wicked and to condemn the Righteous are both of them an abomination to the Lord. How angry was the Lord with Job's three friends for their rash censures of him and harsh dealing with him The Vpright though they are abhorred of many in the World are God's delight And think of it Shall not the Saints judg the World at last Many that censure and accuse them here shall be judged and condemded by them hereafter Yea their holy lives that the World is so offended at shall condemn the World And thou that abhorrest their strict lives think of it whether with Balaam thou wouldest not desire to dye their Death Or 2. Perhaps thou wilt say They make more ado than needs Answ And wherein Indeed it becomes not a Christian to be a busy-body in other Mens matters He has work enough of his own to mind And let all that fear God have a care to walk so that others may find no occasion against them but in the matters of their God But certainly the Command Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. will bear them out in their greatest Zeal and Activity for God So Luke 13.24 strive to enter in at the straight Gate c. And Phil. 2.18 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling And 2 Pet. 2.10 Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure will warrant their most strenuous endeavours to get to Heaven And Ephes 5.15 See that ye walk circumspectly And 1 Thes 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil will justify their tenderness of Spirit and fear of Sin And Col. 1.10 Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work And 1 Cor. 15.58 Always abounding in the work of the Lord will prove that the best are so far from doing more than needs that they fall very far short of doing what they ought in Religion And therefore as Christ said to his Disciples Mat. 26.10 Why trouble ye the Woman for she hath wrought a good work on me So why do any go about to discourage such as for his Name sake are labouring and taking pains to glorifie God and save their souls Are any offended that they do so much Alas they see great cause to be ashamed that they have done so little that they do no more for God and Jesus Christ for their own and others souls It 's granted we should not be righteous over much as we should take heed of being over wise Eccles 7.16 To be wise above that which is written is Wisdom falsly so called and to be righteous above that which is commanded is but a Pharisaical righteousness That which is beyond the Rule is not true Religion but vain Superstition And works of Supererrogation are works of Superarrogancy But keeping to the Rule none can be over-righteous When it is said there v. 17. Be not over-much wicked surely the meaning is not that we may allow our selves a little here They that would shun all impiety more and less are not to be condemned as over-precise or doing more than needs Or 3. perhaps thou wilt say Thou canst not be quiet for them they will not let thee alone but are still reproving thee Answ And does that offend thee Then as the Psalmist says For my love they are my adversaries thou dost ill requite thy best thy most faithful friends Then it seems thou lovest thine enemies but hatest thy friends And is this well done of thee If they could be satisfied to suffer thee to go on offending and provoking God and wronging thine own Soul which is not love but hatred then thou couldst be better pleased with them If it be thus thou neither lovest the Godly nor thy self aright You may think me very long on this third particular Note That if we love the Godly for God and Godliness-sake then we love them most who are most like God most eminent in Godliness And yet before I pass on to another there is a Question or two that fall in here to be answered Quest 1. Are we to love the Godly more than near Relations if they be not Godly and to love those who are eminent in Godliness above Godly Relations that are not so eminent Answ 1. There is a peculiar love due unto Relations as such which is in part natural and sensitive as irrational Creatures also have a love to their mates and
the World and to our carnal interests is not to love them sincerely Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season And esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.25 26. So love to the Godly and to their society would make us willing to ship our selves in the same bottom to take our lot with them in sufferings rather than forsake the assembling of our selves together with them 11. If we love the Godly than we shall be ready to relieve them As we are required to do good unto all Men as we have opportunity but especially to those that are of the houshold of Faith Gal. 6.10 We shall not love in word or in tongue only but in deed and in truth But whoso hath this Worlds good and seeth his Brother have need and yet shutteth up his Bowels of compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God or of his Brother in him 1 John 3.17 As one says of true Friends they will not come in prosperity when called but they will come in adversity uncalled Like that saying of Chilo Lacrt. c. 1. in Chilo p. 47. Promtiùs ad amic rum adversos casus quam ad secundos successus accurrendum Ib. in Zeno. l. 7. 513. As the Stoicks said Among Friends there is a certain community of those things which are necessary to life we using our Friends as our selves As we read of the primitive Christans Act. 4.32 Neither said any of them that ought of the things that he possessed was his own but they had all things common Then a community of goods was very needful and expedient when so many from remote parts came to joyn themselves with the Church at Jerusalem But instead of that community afterwards Christians were required to be ready to distribute and willing to communicate 1 Tim. 6.18 And to the end they might be more ready and free this way the Apostle ordered 1 Cor. 16.1 2. that every one should lay by him in store something every week as God had prospered him And true love would not be satisfied in our giving a few good words to our Brethren and fellow-Christians in necessity and distress as saying Depart in peace be warmed be filled Jam. 2.16 but it would cause us to abound in good works As the Apostle speaks of their work and labour of love shewed to God's Name in ministring to his Saints Heb. 6.10 And thus the Apostle would prove the genuineness and sincerity of the Corinthians love 2 Cor. 8.8 If we would prove that our love is not adulterate or spurious but right indeed we must be free and forward this way in ministring to the necessity of the Saints and that for the Lords sake And certainly while we grudg them any part of our Estates they have little share in our hearts Read Mr. Gouges Sermon of good works with Mr. Baxters Directions or Letter annexed To say as Nabal Shall I take my Bread and my Flesh and give it unto Men whom I know not whence they be or if we give any thing to do it grudgingly not as a matter of bounty but of covetousness rather when what we give beareth no proportion to their necessities and our abilities and is given more to salve our own credit than to relieve their wants such things would shew us without compassion towards them and so without true love As one sayes He that loves the Godly in sincerity Mr. B. Christian Directory part 4. p. 175. q. 15. He loveth Godliness and Godly Men above his carnal worldly Interest his Honour Wealth or Pleasure and therefore will part with these in works of Charity when he understandeth that God requireth it Job would not see any perish for want of clothing or any poor without covering Job 31.19 He that was so much concerned for any that were poor what care would he have taken of poor Saints Clark Lives part 1. p. 795 796. It is said of J. Fox that wrote the Acts Mon. c. That he never denied to give to any one the asked for Jesus sake And one asking him whether he knew a certain poor Man whom he used to relieve Yea said he I remember him well and I tell you I forget Lords and Ladies to remember such 12. If we love the Godly then we shall heartily lament the loss of such We are true Mourners when we hear of such being taken away When Jesus wept over Lazarus the Jews could say Behold how he loved him Joh. 11.35 36. And are we thus expressing our love to the Godly by our grief at parting with them Are we ready to cry out Help Lord for the godly Man ceaseth When the righteous perisheth and we lay it not to heart it shews want of love to them It 's true some can be sorry when merciful Men Men of kindness are taken away can bewail the death of a good Man or Woman such as had estates and hearts to do much good such as were Benefactors But the poor wise Man is not remembred Eccl. 9.15 The loss of such is regarded of few Few are affected with the death of the righteous as such though alas their number is but small compared with the ungodly yet how many that would not be sorry to see their company lessened How weary is the World of those of whom the World is not worthy But if we love them it will go near our hearts to lose them Acts 8.2 Devout Men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him Thus try your love He that loveth not knoweth not God 1 Joh. 4.8 He that loveth not his Brother abideth in death Chap. 3.14 Of Godly Fear PSAL. 112.1 Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord. FEar is a reverend respect which the highest and best of Creatures owe unto God their Soveraign Lord. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say some as some would have the Latine word Deus God to come from the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fear Jacob calleth God the fear of his Father Isaac Gen. 31.53 The Seraphims are said to cover their faces standing about his Throne Isa 6.2 They cannot but adore and reverence Divine Majesty They fear to behave themselves any way unseemly in such a presence Jude ver 9. Even Michael the Archangel when contending with the Devil he disputed about the body of Moses durst not bring against him a railing accusation The Lord is the dreadful God He it is that ought to be feared Psal 76.11 Unto him doth it appertain Jer. 10.7 This is certainly the Creatures duty yea so great a duty that it is oft put for the whole worship of God Psal 34.11 Deut. 6.13 And 10.20 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God which we read thus Mat. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God And the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for Fear or
others God's Fear and to promote it in others As Abraham that feared God would teach his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. As the Psalmist Psal 34.11 Come ye Children hearken unto me I will teach you the Fear of the Lord. As he took up his fellow Luk. 23.40 Dost not thou fear God So if we have the Fear of God we shall desire to establish and confirm others in his Fear Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another They thought on God's Name still and would be speaking for God and his ways even then when the mouth of Blasphemy was most open against him They would be confirming one another in the belief of God's Providence Justice Goodness Truth and Faithfulness how much soever wicked Atheists disputed and denied them Thus they that are acquainted with the true Fear of God are real Friends to it would promote it in others what they can 10. If we have the Fear of God we are for making progress in Holiness The true Fear of God as it opposeth all Sin it will be quickning unto and in every Duty and will befriend every Grace And that is right indeed when we are perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 though here it be not fully perfected So much of the Effects of God's Fear 5. True Fear may be known by the Concomitants of it by its Companions Though I shall but touch on a few of these very briefly 1. When Fear and Faith go together that 's right As we read of Noah's Faith and Fear Heb. 11.7 Psal 15.11 Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord. Psal 33.18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy And the Lord takes pleasure in such Psal 147.11 That is not a right Fear which is the Van-guard of Horrour and Despair A fear of Diffidence is no blessed thing Though it's true some degrees of this may be with true Faith and Fear That of the Psalmist Psal 101.1 I will sing of Mercy and Judgment The Chaldee Paraphrase hath thus If thou dealest mercifully with me if thou dost Judgment with me for all I will sing Praise And so some take it thus I will not presume of thy Mercy so as not to fear thy Judgment nor so fear thy Judgment as to despair of thy Mercy Which I offer but as an Allusion not as the Sense 2. When Fear and Godly Sorrow go together that 's right The true Fear of God is seated in a poor and contrite spirit Isa 66.2 Godly Fear and Godly Sorrow are undivided Companions 2 Cor. 7.11 Behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what fear Which Text seems to make Fear the Daughter of Repentance or Godly Sorrow And like Naomi and Ruth they never part There is a phrase Isa 63.17 Why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy Fear Which implieth so much that an Heart which is hardned is no-way disposed to his Fear So Prov. 28.14 Happy is the Man that feareth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Where we see he that hardneth his heart is opposed to the Man that feareth with a blessed Fear 3. When Fear and Love go together that 's right When these go hand in hand it is certainly a filial fear But no doubt that is a sinful fear which drives souls from God which is contrary to the Love of God O dread such Fear 4. How comfortable is it when Fear and Joy in the Lord go together Though I must confess all that fear God cannot find this Joy There are that fear the Lord and that yet walk in darkness Isa 50.10 But as the most High is to be feared we should rejoice in his Highness too As those good Women who came to seek Jesus departed from the Sepulchre with fear and great joy Mat. 28.8 It is an happy thing indeed when our fear of the Lord is joyned with spiritual delight in him and his service Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling So let us labour to be like those Act. 9.31 that walked in the Fear of the Lord and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost Of Humility 1 PET. 5.5 And be clothed with Humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the Humble HUmility is a Christian's Livery This Clothing every Christian must put on and wear must never put off Without this our great Lord and Master will not know us will not own us for his He beholds the proud a far off Humility is as the ground-work both of Grace and Happiness Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit that is the humble in spirit It is the first of the Beatitudes laid as the foundation of the rest As it is from poverty and humility in spirit that we are put upon spiritual mourning It is this that causeth a spiritual hungring It is this that meekeneth and softeneth the heart towards others that makes peaceable and makes patient under Sufferings This is a preservative of holiness and purity Pride is supposed to be the special sin that cast the Angels out of Heaven That text 1 Tim. 3.6 seems to hint so much that * Fugite superbiam fratres mei quaeso mul tum fugite Initium omnis peccati Superbia quae tam velociter ipsum quoque Syderibus cunctis clarius micantem aeternâ caligine obtnebravit Luciferum I quae non modo Angelum sed Angelcrum primum in Diabolum commutavit Bern. de Adv. Dom. Serm. 1. Pride was the condemnation of the Devil the cause of his condemnation And Pride was evident in Man's first defection from God Man fell by his Pride affecting to be as God And certainly Humility is necessary to his recovery As God created the World of nothing when he createth us again he brings us to a sense of our own emptiness and nothingness Humility is both a Grace and a Vessel a receptacle of Grace God gives more Grace to the Humble It is a good expression one has Humility emptieth the heart for God to fill it Humility is a Nursekeeper of other Graces Radix omnium malorum superbia custos omnium virtutum hamilitas est When I am weak then am I strong says the Apostle And a Christian's strength lieth very much in an humble sense of his own weakness Humility is a great preservative from Temptation Such as lie low are safest most out of the way of Satan's Gun-shot But Souls that are lifted up stand as a fair mark for him Humility is the way to Glory Chilo asking Aesop what God was doing he answered That he does humble the Lofty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. in Chilo l. 1. p. 47. abase them and exalt the humble He brings down high things and sets up low things Luk. 14.11 He that humbleth himself shal be exalted But
Spirit as the Psalmist would prefer Jerusalem's welfare before his chief joy would make that the chief ingredient in his rejoycing as Dr. Hammond Or though he was never so low in the World it would not trouble so much as to think of the low estate of the Church and the declining state of Religion in the World But if our own losses crosses and afflictions lie exceeding heavy on us while the Churches miseries lie light if we have little sense of these are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph if it would sadly startle us to see our own Houses on fire and yet we are not moved to see fire cast into God's Sanctuary these things would shew miserable selfishness not Self-denial 17. Self-denial would teach us to account our selves more happy in serving pleasing honouring and enjoying God than in having our flesh pleased in prospering or being our selves advanced in the World Self-denial would cause us to be better satisfied though the flesh were pinched and crossed while our Souls prosper while Grace is vigorous and thriving and while communion and intercourse with God is maintained then if our Souls were sensibly declining Grace impar'd our hearts more straitned in holy Duties c. though things went never so well with us in the World 18. Self-denial would reconcile us to the strictest Commands that most fetter self This would make Christ's yoke easie When Self is denied we shall take part with the strictest Precepts and Commands that bind up Self most 19. Self-denial would also reconcile us to the harshest Providences as a means to beat down sinful Self and base selfishness When Self is denied what opposeth Self will not be disrellished so as before it would have been We shall be truly pleased the more we get victory over our selves by what ever means the victory be obtained though it be not gotten without blows without wounds in our flesh without breaches in our Estates and outward comforts 20. True Self-denial will prepare a Man for the cross He will not deny to suffer for Christ who has learnt to deny himself He that is come to deny himself will readily take up the Cross to follow Christ True Christian Self-denial if we have it will have an answer ready for us to give to the World to give to any that would draw or deter us from Christ scil That his we are not our own and him we will serve and to him we will cleave If Relations would draw us from him we shall have this to say That we are not theirs so much as Christ's and we had rather be His than theirs If Persecutors would fright us from him if they threaten to spoil us of our Goods to take away our Estates we shall have this to say That we have and would hold no Estates but to be laid out for him or laid down for him as he pleaseth If they threaten Death That we are His either to live to Him or to dy for Him which he pleaseth and that it is better for us to die for his Truth in his Service than to live to deny his Truth to his dishonour And this is Self-denial indeed to seek the Honour of Christ by the loss of all that may be dear unto us in this World Many would be content to deny themselves in some things here rather than openly deny Jesus Christ They could be content to suffer a little for him as to suffer Imprisonment awhile but not to suffer at a Stake to run with the foot-Men but not to contend with Horses As is indeed notably observed Mr. Baxt. Self-denial p. 31. A Man may deny Self for Self in many particulars and so may please Self more than he denies it This is no true Self-denial I would not be unfaithful to you And so I must tell you If it be thus that you would not forsake all rather than Christ forsake all I say for Christ when you may be called to it if you are for keeping back a part you do not yet deny your selves yea you have denied Christ already in your hearts and therefore unless you be changed have no ground to hope that Christ will own you I know many will count this an hard saying But how oft does Jesus Christ tell you as much That if Jesus Christ be to be believed so it is He alloweth us not to except any thing but requires us to be ready to lay down all even our very lives for him See Luk. 14.26 v. 33. Whosoever he be of you that for saketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple Though they were not called immediately to forsake all in act yet in intention and resolution they were to forsake all presently if they would be his Disciples They must be ready to bid adieu to all things in the World So weigh the Text and Context Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's the same shall save it That there is no being saved we see without being Martyrs that is if not actually yet intentionally and habitually having a will and resolution to lay down our very lives for Christ if called to it if we cannot keep them with a good Conscience with our fidelity to Christ One thing more you must note that it must be for Christ that we are willing to forsake all or though we should forsake all it would not prove us to be Self-denying persons If a Man was willing to die in the maintenance or profession of the Truth willing to lay down his life in this Cause to be enrolled with the noble Army of Martyrs to get an immortal Name to have his Memory honoured when he is dead and gone this is not true Self-denial This would be dying to ones self and for ones self not to the Lord and for the Lord. Thus you see how we may know whether we have learnt to deny our selves Yet I must grant that Self-denial is imperfect here as other Graces And Self is never fully vanquished in this life It is oft making insurrections in the Soul Indeed it is a close enemy an enemy that lies very near us The holiest Men on Earth are one way or other disturbed and set upon with this enemy Self But they are careful to watch against it they are fighting it they oppose it where-ever they meet with it And it concerneth us to look well to our selves for we can have no further evidence of the truth of Grace in us than we have that we are sincerely Self-denying and have not only our judgments and Consciences but also the prevailing part of our Wills against base selfishness OF SINCERITY AND UPRIGHTNESS PSAL. 37.37 Mark the Perfect Man and behold the Upright for the end of that Man is Peace AS the Lord takes pleasure in Vprightness 1 Chron. 29.17 So it is a thing that his
Servants may take comfort in Hezekiah though a King found no such Cordial in the World He could take comfort in this even when sick unto death when he had received the Sentence of Death Isa 38.1 3. And this was their rejoyceing who had little in the World to take comfort in 2 Cor. 1.12 when they were as sorrowful and having nothing yet they would not have parted with the joy of their Sincerity for all the World God is so pleased with Sincerity that where he sees it he is ready to overlook Infirmities As true Gold has its grains of allowance Heb. 8.10 12. And all the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as walk before him in Truth and Sincerity He will be a Sun and Shield to such and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 They shall have his favour and countenance here His Countenance doth behold the Vpright Psal 11.7 They have his most gracious and benign Aspect And they shall be taken into and enjoy his Glorious Presence hereafter Whereas an Hypocrite shall not come before him the Vpright shall dwel in his presence Psal 140.13 Who shall dwel in God's holy Hill The Psalmist tells you Psal 24.3 4. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart Psal 15.1 2. Such as walk uprightly Thus indeed the end of the perfect and upright Man shall be peace perfect peace and endless happiness But there is a twofold Integrity or Uprightness There is a Natural or Moral Integrity and there is a Spiritual Integrity 1. There is a Natural or moral Integrity which is the effect of common restraining Grace As God gives the Consciences of some natural Men that power and quickness that in many particular actions they are seen to carry well following the dictates of their Consciences Thus they are kept from gross Sins and shew forth many commendable Vertues and that not out of Cunning but of Conscience Their Consciences will not suffer them to do otherwise As Joseph's Brethren said We are true Men we are no Spies So many natural Men are true to their Principles Many of the Heathen of whom we read in their Writers were just honest plain-dealers would speak as they thought and what ever they lost or suffered would not break their words they were homines quadrati Square-men and such indeed as quite shame and will condemn many that are called Christians who having banished or seared Conscience live in those sins that many an honest Heathen would have chosen to die rather than commit And the Lord himself gives testimony to the Integrity of Abimelech so far that if he had known Sarah to have been another Man's Wife he would not have taken her to his House Gen. 20.6 Yea I know thou didst this in the Integrity of thy heart Yet we have no ground to suppose that Abimelech at that time was a Saint a truly Upright Man 2. There is a Spiritual Integrity which is the effect of special renewing Grace The effect of God's writing his Laws in the heart When being renewed in the spirit of our mind we put on the new Man which after God is created in Righteousness and Holiness of Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eph. 4.23 24. When not only a Man's Conscience but his Will also is for that which is right not only in some particular actions but in his general course When a Man intirely without reserve resignes and gives up himself to God heartily resolved for God and ordinarily acting for him with respect to his Will and to his Honour and Glory in what he does Thus Integrity includes both being Vpright in heart and being of upright Conversation Psal 11.2 with 37.14 They that are upright in heart will be of upright conversation will walk uprightly and none can be of upright conversation none can walk uprightly without an upright heart This uprightness is perfect for kind though but imperfect as to degree As a Child has all the parts of a Man though not in that full proportion as a Man hath but is growing toward it But that Integrity which may be found in a natural Man is but an imperfect Embrio or a False-Conception Sincerity and Uprightness to speak properly is not a particular distinct Grace but a necessary mode of all true Grace It is the right mode of every Grace and of every good Work too So we read of the Sincerity of Love 2 Cor. 8.8 of Love unfeigned 2 Cor. 6.6 And of Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Sincerity in a Christians Graces is as a Golden-twist in a Bracelet or Neck-lace of Pearls it goes thorow every Grace or as the Veins in the Body that run thorow all the Parts and Members Yea Sincerity is as the Soul of Religion without Sincerity we can have no more than a form of Godliness like a dead Carcass Now to shew how Sincerity and Uprightness may be known O that I might be a welcom Messenger to some to shew some their Uprightness who cannot rest but long to be satisfied in this Point 1. The Upright Man though simple plain is not stolid Though there is an holy simplicity joyned with Sincerity 2 Cor. 1.12 yet a brutish stolidity gross ignorance and integrity are utterly inconsistent Pro. 19.2 3. That the Soul be without Knowledg is not good In our old Translation thus For without Knowledg the mind is not good The foolishness of Man perverts his way Indeed ignorance is both Mother and Nurse of Impiety but no friend to Integrity Prov. 2.13 Walking in the wayes of darkness is opposed to keeping the paths of Vprightness As the Simple and such as err are put together Ezek. 45.20 Pro. 1.22 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity There is a simplicity that is no vertue It is the Man of understanding that walketh uprightly Pro. 15.21 Not the fool Pro. 19.1 He is perverse Some rest in their good meanings and boast of their good and honest hearts while they have no care to know what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God such are not upright 2. The Upright Man is for knowing the whole Will and Counsel of God He is willing to hear of his duty to learn his whole duty He would not stop his ear against any Message that comes from God The single eye sees best Mat. 6.22 It would not shut out any light that comes from above from the Father of Lights The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Sincerity some would have taken from the Eagles trying of her young holding them forth to the full view of the Sun who as they say rejects those as spurious and not her genuine brood which cannot with open eye behold the Sun or as most take it the word is translated from Wares that are right good that one is not afraid to shew and bring forth into the light of the Sun When Men hate the Light and will not come into the
17.1 Walk before me and be thou Perfect or Upright Uprightness in heart and life is not attained without a sense of God's presence with us without setting the Lord before us So 1 King 9.4 If thou wilt walk before me as David thy Father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness Is 57.2 each one walking in his Vprightness Others have it before Him as it is in the Margent each one that hath walked before him Indeed one cannot walk in Vprightness that does not walk before him 2 Cor. 2.17 of Sincerity and in the sight of God go together And it is something to this purpose that they that know God and the upright in heart are joyned Psal 36.10 As Hypocrites and they that forget God are put together Job 8.13 The Upright so know God as to remember him they have their thoughts much upon him The Hypocrite forgets God thinks little of him He puts off the serious thoughts of God of his Omnipresence of his Omniscience c. as otherwise he could never go on still and quietly in a way of Hyprocrisie The Upright ordinarily so mind God's Presence with them his eye upon them that they are awed therewith and fear before him He that walkes Vprightly is ever one that feareth the Lord Prov. 14.2 9. The Upright Man is one that hates opposes and forsakes all known Sin There is no Sin he knows of that he would spare and indulge And this is a certain infallible note and caracter if we can find it in our selves The Vpright in heart and the Pure in heart are really the same Quest But who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my Sin Answ It is true an absolute perfect purity is not to be found in any upon Earth but only in Heaven yet the Upright are said to be of a clean heart and to have a pure heart Psal 73.1 and 24.4 comparatively That is compared with themselves what they were before God created this clean heart in them and put a right spirit into them as also compared with others that are strangers to the work of spiritual renovation So the denomination follows the better part As we say a Corn-field notwithstanding there are many Weeds in it too And a Gold-Mine though there is much Dross with the Gold And there is this further to be said that though there is sin and impurity still cleaving and adhering to the Upright Man yet his heart cleaves not to any sin It is so far pure it is not for joyning or mingling with corruption but would work it out There is no way of wickedness allowed of in the heart that is upright This last note is clearly laid down Prov. 16.17 The high-way of the Vpright is to depart from evil This is the common path such daily keep unto In their ordinary course they have a care to depart from evil from evil in genere which contains the several species or kinds of evil So Job that was a Perfect and Vpright Man shewed it in his eschewing evil Job 1.1 Though the Upright Man cannot live absolutely free from sin Yet neither can he live in sin It is not his Element Though sin has a being in him still yet it has not dominion over him Psal 19.13 Let them not have dominion over me then shall I be Vpright There is reigning sin which a Man does not oppose but gives up himself unto which he willingly serves and obeys and this is altogether inconsistent with Uprightness Again there is sin which is not reigning but resisted which a Man does not allow of but desires and endeavours to shake off Watches prays strives against and the existence or presence of such sin does not deny or disprove a Man's Uprightness An upright Man may fall into Sin but he does not continue in Sin It is not his way But his high-way is to depart from evil Here is a broad difference betwixt the Hypocrite and the Upright 1. An Hypocrite will sometimes seem very zealous against Sin in others and be forward to censure and condemn others while he willingly overlooks and indulges Sin in himself He can sooner espie a mote in anothers Eye than a beam in his own Eye An upright Man though he would not partake of others Sins by Connivance c. yet he sets especially against his own Sins and against sin in those that are nearest to him In the first place he would reform at home 2. An Hypocrite may leave some Sins as Jehu destroyed Baal and Herod probably reformed in some things But the Upright Man is an Enemy to all known Sin 3. An Hypocrite is for lopping off the Branches But the upright Man is striking even at the root of Sin He is for mortifying that body of Sin within him He is sick of that body of Death He strives in good earnest against inward evil Inclinations An Hypocrite whilst he keeps his hands clean from gross acts of Sin has no care takes no pains to purifie his heart Whilst he avoids open Prophaneness he tolerates and allows of inward Corruptions and Heart-pollutions Mat. 23.25 26. c. The upright Man's care is to cast and keep Sin out of his Heart as well as out of his Life 4. An Hypocrite is not afraid of doing that in God's sight which he would be afraid or ashamed to do in the view of others or if he thought Men would come to the knowledg of it The upright ordinarily dread to sin in secret fear to sin against God though it were possible to keep it close from the knowledg of the World 5. An Hypocrite will condemn the Sins of former Times while he is easily drawn to a compliance with the sins and corruptions of the present Times he liveth in like those Mat. 23.29 30 34. But an upright Man will be good in bad Times As Noah Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just Man and perfect or upright in his Generation In that wicked Age wherein Iniquity did so much abound and defile the World yet still he retained his Integrity He was a just a righteous Man when the Earth was filled with violence He walked with God even at that time when Mankind generally as with one consent lay wallowing in Sin So Psal 125.4 5. They that are upright in heart are opposed to such as turn aside unto crooked ways They cannot wind about and turn with the Times as others An upright Man hates the work of them that turn aside and resolves it shall not cleave to him Psal 101.3 Psal 26.11 But as for me I will walk in mine Integrity Vprightness Rectitude and Streightness are words of very near and great affinity An upright Man is for conforming himself to the Word a streight Rule is not conformed to the World cannot bend to the sinful humours and examples of Men. 6. An Hypocrite sometimes whilst he abstains from gross Sins freely allows himself in lesser Sins or such as he accounts little Peccadillo's Take that Instance the
believes any Truth upon the Testimony of God in his Word upon the same ground for the same reason must believe the truth of whatsoever God hath said in his Word So he that obeyeth in this or that particular because God hath commanded it hath a will to obey all that God hath given in Command Thus the upright Man's obedience to one Command is upon a general Ground common to all God's Commands And hereupon he is uniform in his Obedience But the obedience which the Hypocrite performeth is upon lame unsound Reasons and partial Grounds and so his obedience is lame short and partial like the Grounds of it But attend well to this note I am upon To walk Uprightly is to walk in all the Commandments of the Lord as Zacharias and Elizabeth did Luk. 1.6 And so 1. The Upright Man hath a respect to both Tables An Upright Heart is another Arke where the Tables of God's Laws are kept even both Tables Those which God hath joyned one after God's Heart would not separate Such a one would keep a Conscience void of offence both towards God and towards Men Act. 24.16 Look what kind of honesty to Man that is which is not accompanied with Religion towards God the same sayes Mr. R. Bolton is that Religion towards God which is not attended with honesty to Men. Both in one predicament as he sayes How can he be Upright before God who does not make Conscience of Duties to God Job was Perfect and Vpright and one that feared God as we read Job 1.1 And further Uprightness teacheth to make Conscience of Duties towards Men. For which see Job's serious profession of his Upright carriage chap. 31. So the Apostle sayes Heb. 13.18 We trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly So the Upright Man is a good Man Mic. 7.2 The good Man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among Men. Psal 125.4 Those that be good and them that are Vpright in their heart go together The Upright set themselves to follow the rule of the Word which teacheth them to be good in their Relations As Psal 101.2 I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way I will walk within my Soul with a perfect heart The Upright Man will be a good Master Or such a one will make a good Servant if he be in that Relation Obeying not with eye-service but in singleness of heart Col. 3.22 not purloyning but shewing all good fidelity Tit. 2.10 The Upright Man is a just Man Job 12.4 The Just Vpright Man He is just in his dealings Uprightness and Injustice are at great odds as can be these will never agree while the World stands Sincerity will not mingle with fraud and deceit Sincerum quasi sine cerâ The honest heart is for honest dealing Such as are Sincere before God will deal truly sincerely fairly candidly with Men. As there is an expression Judg. 9.19 If ye have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his House Such as make a trade of cozening defrauding wronging their Neighbours let their pretences be never so fair their course of practice will prove them false unsound How incongruous is it to have Jacob's Voice and Esau's rough hands Verily a cheating Professour is much worse than a known professed Cheater And see Deut. 25.13 14 15 16. Deceitful Weights and deceitful Measures are the inventions of deceitful Hearts How many that are enriching themselves with the wages of Vnrighteousness Such cannot say as the Psalmist Psal 18.23 24. I was upright before him Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness according to the cleanness of my hands in his Eye-sight Nor are such ever likely to have any evidence of their Uprightness till they come to follow such Counsel as that Dan. 4.27 Break off thy Sins by Righteousness and thine Iniquities by shewing Mercy to the Poor As God smites his hand at Mens dishonest gain Ezek. 22.13 So will the Upright despise the gain of oppressions or deceits and shake his hands from holding of bribes Isa 33.15 Yea the Upright Man is not only just but Merciful Psal 112.4 Unto the Vpright there ariseth light in darkness he is gracious and full of compassion as well as righteous So the Merciful and Vpright are put together and opposed to the froward Psal 18.25 26. 2. The upright Man would not despise the least of Gods Commands He is for keeping them as the apple of his Eye as there is an expression Prov. 7.2 with all care and tenderness His care is to walk circumspectly exactly That preciseness which prophane spirits deride and scoff at he sees to be necessary That supposing a Man to keep the whole Law excepting one Point which he allows himself to offend in by contemning God's Authority therein his Obedience would thus be proved unsound and he be proved guilty in respect of the whole Law James 2.10 He thus despising that same Authority upon which the whole Law depends For one to allow himself in the breach of the least of Christ's Commands accounting it of little weight that it was no matter if he regard it not this is enough to shut one out of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.19 3. The upright Man though he does not despise and contemn the least of God's Commands yet he looks first and most to the greatest Commands He has a special regard to these As the contrary detected the Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees that as strict as they were in lesser matters yet they were grosly negligent of the greater and more weighty Mat. 23.23 24. To be very observant of and zealous about Circumstantials but careless of more necessary Duties and substantials of Religion is one ill-favoured mark of an Hypocrite whereby he may be known 4. The upright Man has a respect to the hardest Commands even to such Commands as are most cross to his Carnal interest and Natural inclination So this evidenced Abraham's integrity that when God called for his Isaac he withheld not his Son his only Son from him Thus on the other hand the unsoundness of the young Man that was ready to boast of his obedience was discovered Mat. 19.21 If thou wilt be perfect Mark 10.21 one thing thou lackest Go and sell that thou hast and give to the Poor and come and follow me Christ knew his mind how his heart was let upon the World and to shew that his heart was not right nor he so perfect as he took himself to be he tried him with a Command that was cross to his Carnal Interest and to his special Inclination which soon laid him open As willing and forward as he seemed to know and learn his Duty yet when he hears of selling all and taking up the Cross Mark 10.21 he leaveth this hard work for others 12. The upright Man carries uprightly in reference to holy Duties Here 1. He has a care to engage his heart to
approach to God Thus his Prayers proceed not from feigned Lips Psal 17.1 So he praiseth God with uprightness of heart Psal 119.7 The Hypocrite thinks it enough to draw nigh to God with his Mouth and to honour him with the Lips Mark 7.6 Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you Hypocrites as it is written This People honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far frem me The Hypocrite contents himself with a form of Godliness with meer Bodily Exercise The upright Man is a true Worshipper one that worshippeth God in Spirit and in Truth John 4.23 Phil. 3.3 The upright Man takes not up with any outward Form but laboureth for an inward frame sutable to the Worship he performs 2 Chron. 29.34 The Levites were more upright in heart to sanctifie themselves than the Priests The upright Man looks not only to the matter of Duty but to the manner also how it is to be done 2. The upright Man is not one prest to God's Service but a Volunteer in his Service To serve God with a perfect heart and willing mind go together 1 Chron. 28.9 As we read of the People 1 Chron. 29.9 Then the People rejoyced for that they offered willingly because with a perfect heart they offered willingly As of David ver 17. As for me in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies Simplicity is oft used for Freeness or Liberality The simple and sincere heart is a free heart It is free in God's Service and accounts his service perfect Freedom The Hypocrite sets to Duty as a Task and Burden he is glad when a duty is over The upright Man's heart is in these ways Holy Duties that are means of special Communion with God are his best Meal-times Job 23.12 I esteemed the words of his Mouth more than my necessary Food Such would not know how to live without the Word without Prayer c. The World could not hire them to lay Duties aside by all it has to proffer True the upright Man finds not at all times the like chearfulness in God's Service But the spirit is willing when the flesh is weak Or if his Spirit be sometimes straightned 't is his burden when it is so And he prays to be established with a free spirit When he finds any listlessness unto and weariness in God's Service it is a thing he is weary of He has little joy in any thing while he cannot take delight in God and his Wayes 3. The upright Man has a special respect unto God in Duties He looks most at God's Approbation Having a respect to every known Duty and having respect to God in all are great signs of Uprightness To look straight forward Prov. 4.25 the Hypocrite looks asquint He has not a right intention of serving honouring and pleasing God in what he does The Upright looks most at God The Hypocrite looks most at Men. He does all to be seen of Men Mat. 6.5 23.5 The Hypocrite would think all his labour lost if he have not Man's applause or approbation He loves the praise of Men more than the praise of God like those John 12.45 The Upright little regard Man's commendation or censure either As it was a small thing with the Apostle to be judged of Mans judgment but he would account all lost indeed without God's Approbation and Acceptance He would not that his praise should be of Men but of God He more dreads than courts Man's applause Or if he finds himself sometimes tickled and taken with it in cool blood he abhors himself for it But if he may know that God has accepted his Work the Lord's Well done good and faithful servant would do him good at heart 4. The upright Man is for secret Duties He makes conscience of them delights in them The Lord shall see his Nathaniel's under the Fig-tree in their private Walks in their Closets He sees them oft retiring themselves The Hypocrite who is only for making a shew cares not for secret Duties which Men can take no notice of If Conscience will not let him alone without doing something here yet he has no love to them he is very slighty in them 5. The upright Man is not only for Duties that are in fashion and credit among Men but those that may expose him to Scorn or Persecution As Daniel would hold on Praying and giving Thanks to God when it was likely to cost him his Life Dan. 6.10 The upright Man studies the Point of his Duty more than his own safety 13. The upright Man is an humble Man Such as walk uprightly also walk humbly Mic. 6.8 Though Vprightness and Perfection are oft made all one in Scripture yet the Upright have only a perfection of Parts here but as to Degrees they still find great imperfection in themselves that humbles them As the Apostle Phil. 3.12 Not as though I were already perfect The more Gracious the more Humble As the highest Stars seem least None are so sensible of the least sinful warping or stepping awry it troubles none so much as those whose greatest care is to walk Uprightly There is a Generation that are pure in their own Eyes and yet are not washed from their Filthiness Prov. 30.12 Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him Hab. 2.4 Hypocrites as a sound Divine says is but the off-spring of Pride Mr. Bax. 14. The upright Man is one that walks by Faith walks in the Name of the Lord Zech. 10.12 We can walk and stand upright no longer than we are strengthened by him And it is Faith that fetcheth in strength from him Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved Upright Souls see a necessity of the Grace and Assistance of Christ and so lean and depend on him 15. The upright Man is steady and even in his Course But Hypocrisie is a cause of unsteadiness of inconstancy Psal 78.8 A Generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God And ver 37. Their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant The Hypocrite is good only by fits He is in a good Mood sometimes but it is soon over This will not prove one upright to take a right step or two But we must be upright in the Way and upright in our general Course Psal 106.3 Blessed are they that keep Judgment and be that doth Righteousness at all times At all times when alone as well as while in company with the Good at home and abroad On our own Days as well as on the Lord's Day In Prosperity and Adversity Not only when Righteousness is applauded and encouraged but when it meets with the severest checks and greatest rubs The upright though they may sometimes stumble in the way or step aside through Frailty yet they do not wickedly depart from it through falseness of Heart and base
Hope will give Courage will put a Man in heart and make him resolved for God A true Christian to maintain his Hope will not care to quit present worldly Possessions If we could be perswaded to disclaim all interest in and Hope of Heaven to embrace this present World if we could be content to take up with the World for our Portion then certainly we have no sound Hope of Heaven It is a weighty saying O that it may be well weighed They are no true Hopes of Glory to come Mr. Baxt. Ep. ded before his 32. Directions c. if you cannot cast over board all Worldly Hopes when the Storm is such that you must hazzard the One. 11. A sound Hope will raise ones Thoughts Heart and Desires Heaven-ward What is Hope but an expectation with desire or a desiring expectation As the Apostle speaks of his earnest expectation and Hope Phil. 1.20 So we cannot have a lively Hope of Heaven without lively desires after Heaven Rom. 8.23 We which have the first-fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body It cannot be that such as have a sound Hope of Heaven should place their happiness or terminate their desires in the World 12. A lively Hope will quicken and raise the Heart in praise and thankfulness to God Psal 71.14 I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more This Hope is called good Hope through Grace 2 Thes 2.16 And Souls that have it cannot but see cause greatly to admire extol and magnifie Divine Grace 13. Sound Hope is a furtherance of Spiritual Joy Rejoycing in Hope As Bernard sed nunquid tantae laetitiae spes erit sine laetitia Yea this Hope oft causeth Joy even in Affliction Psal 119.49 50. Remember the Word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickened me The word of promise giving Hope thus brings in Joy and comfort too Sound Hope will chear the Heart and keep it alive under troubles without which it would faint and sink If our Hearts die within us like Nabals under worldly Troubles this would shew we have not a lively Hope of Heaven Such as rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God will be ready even to glory in Tribulations as Rom. 5.2 3. Of Spiritual Joy ANd so I come to the Trial of Mens Joyes As there are counterfeit Graces so there are false Joyes As we read of the Hope of the Hypocrite so likewise of the Joy of the Hypocrite Job 20.5 A Joy that will end in sorrow and consternation Yea It is possible for Souls that have true Grace yet to be mistaken in their Joys As we find the Seventy Disciples returning with Joy Luk. 10.17 saying Lord even the Devils are subject unto us through thy Name Notwithstanding says Christ v. 20. in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Where he at once corrects and directs their Joy As one says Many times the more excellent a Sermon is Mr. A. Burg. the more carnal the heart of the Preacher may be So Christians may rejoyce carnally in Spiritual Enlargements and Spiritual Experiences As Grace can find something even in natural comforts to feed and increase Spiritual Joy Joy in the Lord So Corruption sometimes prevailes on the contrary making Spiritual Duties and Spiritual Priviledges and Mercies the matter and ground of carnal rejoycing And further as some Christians through weakness yield to needless fears and take up sad conclusions against themselves and their own Estates debarring themselves of comfort belonging to them So others again through heedlesness please themselves erroneously in their own fancies and rejoyce in sparks of their own kindling which they take for the comforts of the Spirit That we should not only try our Graces but our Comforts For which purpose take these following notes 1. Spiritual Joy is not wont to come in till Godly Sorrow hath prepared and made way for it Bernard Opportunè post tristitiam gaudium subit post laborem quies post naufragium portus Thus the Lord oft turns Water into Wine turns his Peoples Sorrow into Joy Christ was anointed to give the Oyl of Joy for mourning the Garments of Praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61.3 They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy Psal 126.5 6. Hearts that were never broken are not yet prepared for Christ to bind them up Paul had a casting down to the Earth before he was caught up to the third Heavens They that have great elevations of Joy and yet were never humbled for Sin have cause enough to suspect their Joy is not right 2. Spiritual Joy hath the Holy Spirit for its Authour Thus it is the Joy of the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 1.6 As I said of a lively Hope it is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Ministers may be helpers of a Believers Joy as 2 Cor. 1.24 but under the Spirit He is the principal efficient Now they that have not the Holy Ghost their Sanctifier cannot have him their Comforter The Disciples were filled with Joy and with the Holy Ghost Act. 13.52 This fruit of the Spirit never grows alone but hath other fruits accompanying it Indeed there may be Saving Sanctifying Grace without actual Joy and Consolation but there cannot be true Joy without Saving Sanctifying Grace 3. Spiritual Joy is never to be found without Saving Faith Rom. 15.13 Now the God of Hope fill you with Joy and Peace in believing No other way that it can be attained Sound Joy is the Joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Rom. 5.1 2. Without true Saving Justifying Faith no Peace with God and without Peace and Reconciliation with God no ground for Joy So then if we would know whether our Joy be right we must inquire after the truth of our Faith Certainly a temporary Faith can have no betrer than a temporary Joy following it 4. Spiritual Joy ordinarily is not attained without self-probation without self-searching Gal. 6.4 Let every Man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself The ground of an Hypocrites Joy ordinarily is out of himself in the good opinion and esteem of others But says the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience And this we see is the Scripture-way and method for attaining Spiritual Joy to commune with our own Hearts to ask our own Consciences seriously what evidence they can give that we are in a state of Grace that our works are done in Sincerity And when Conscience can give testimony of our Godly Sincerity and Integrity then indeed we have good ground to rejoyce But therefore such as are great strangers to themselves and fear examining their Consciences strictly lest
And all of Christ precious And so 1. Do you now see your vileness in having had such low thoughts of a precious Saviour Are you ashamed of your former Sin and Folly in despising and setting so light by him 2. Do you now prize him above all things in the World 3. Can you not endure now to see or hear Christ vilified or dishonoured 4. Are you restless till you may know your interest in him that he is yours 2. Are you sanctified by Faith Is your Faith such as purifies the Heart 1. Is there not only an outward but an inward change wrought in you 2. And not only a negative but a positive change 3. And a thorow though not a perfect change 4. Are you aiming at perfect Holiness 3. Is your Faith such as worketh Love and worketh by Love 4. Is it such by which you have in some measure conquered the World and go on to conquer it more Are you taken off from placing your happiness in the smiles of the World What power in your Faith to overcome the enticements of the World And what in it to overcome the storming rage and furious assaults of the World 3. Try your Repentance 1. Your sorrow for Sin Is it Godly sorrow First Is it on right grounds 1. Is your sorrow for Sin considered as a breach of God's Law 2. as a dishonour to God 3. as displeasing to him as the abominable thing which he hates 4. as against God's Mercies as an ill requital of his Goodness Does the Goodness of God lead you to Repentance 5. As a cause of Christ's Sufferings 6. As it defiles and deforms your Souls 7. As it disables you from serving honouring God as you ought 8. As it hindreth Communion with God Secondly As to the Object 1. Are you humbled for Original Sin as well as for Actual Sins 2. Do you lay load of sorrow on your special Sins 3. Are you grieved even for secret Sins 4. And for spiritual Impurities 5. And for spiritual defects and weaknesses in Grace 6. And for sinful Omissions and the Iniquities of your holy things 7. Are you grieved for the least Sins you take notice of 8. Are you so far troubled even for your unknown Sins is it an humbling consideration to think that you are guilty of many more Sins than you know of or can find out in your selves 9. Are you disposed and inclined to mourn for the Sins of others Thirdly As to the properties of your Sorrow 1. Is your sorrow and humiliation for Sin free and voluntary 2. Is it inward and most in secret 3. Is it not for a fit but continued 4. Is it deep and vehement Though the passion of Grief may be more moved at some great Cross and Affliction that has befallen you yet do you really account Sin a greater evil than the greatest Cross And have you a greater displicence in your Wills against it Would you ordinarily chuse any Affliction rather than Sin 2. Do you turn from Sin 1. And from a right Principle As 1. from a true fear of God from a Childlike fear of offending and not from a meer slavish fear of Suffering 2. Do you turn from Sin out of love to God 3. And from an hatred of Sin 4. And with a firm and fixed resolution against it 2. Do you set against your inward Corruptions and do you fear to sin in secret 3. Do you set your selves especially against your special Sins And though there is Sin remaining in you yet is there no Sin reserved 4. Do you set against all known Sin not making light of sins of Infirmity but watching and striving against them much less of allowing of presumptuous Sins 5. Are you for undoing what you have done amiss so far as you can as in cases of Wrong and Injury to Men 6. Are you ordinarily afraid of Temptations and careful to avoid occasions of Sin 7. Would you shun and abstain from the very appearance of Evil 8. Is it your desire to turn others from Sin 9. And would you never return to it more 3. Are you turned unto God 1. Are your Hearts turned to Him and set upon Him 2. Are you for joyning your selves to the Godly and do your hearts cleave to them 3. Are you for turning others to God 4. Are you for walking with God for walking in his Ways 5. Would you be getting still nearer and nearer to him 6. And do you cleave to him with purpose of heart resolving to follow him fully 4. Try your Love to God 1. Is your Love founded in a sound knowledg of God of his Love and of his Loveliness 2. Do you love him for himself and not meerly for your selves 3. Do you love him as your holy Governour and not only as your good and gracious Benefactor 4. Do you love him superlatively love him above all 5. Is your love to him such that nothing will satisfie you without an interest in him 6. Have you an earnest desire of his gracious Presence and do you mourn and take on in his absence 7. Are you breathing after longing for a full enjoyment of God in Heaven 8. Are your thoughts much upon him and are the thoughts of God most welcome to you and most kindly entertained 9. Is it pleasing to you to speak or hear of him 10. Is it very grievous to you to see or hear God dishonoured 11. Are you no longer in league with his enemy Sin 12. Is it your delight to serve and obey him 13. Are you for winning and drawing others to him 14. Are you growing in likeness to him and do you desire to be followers of him 15. Do you highly account of his Favours Do you set a value upon your enjoyments according to what of his Love you see in them 16. Are you for putting a good construction on his severest dealings with you and not for entertaining hard thoughts of God tho he shew you hard things 17. Would you love him more and more and do you think you never express love enough to him 18. Is it a joy to you to see others active for him 19. Are you willing not only to do but to suffer for him 20. Do you love others love all in general and in particular love your Enemies and more especially love the Godly for his sake And here 1. Have you a love to the Godly even for their Godliness and not only for some part of Godliness but for the whole of it 2. Do you love all that appear to be such that you are bound according to the judgment of Charity to account such 3. And the more of God the more of his Grace you discern in any do you love them the more for it 4. Do you earnestly desire to find that in your selves which you cannot but approve in them 5. Is your delight in holy Society and Conference 6. Do you fear giving scandal to them 7. Do you take well their just Reproof 8. Would you not neglect your