What fears should disquiet him that is sure to escape the wrath of God What wants should trouble him that knoweth he is an heir of Heaven Why should the indignation or threatnings of man be any temptation to turn him out of the way of duty or dismay his mind who knoweth that they can but kill the body and dismiss the soul into his blessed presence whom it loveth and laboureth and longs to see what should inordinately grieve that man that is certain of eternal Joy What else should he thirst for that hath in him the well of living waters springing up to everlasting life Joh. 4.14 And what should deprive that man of comfort that knoweth he hath the Comforter within him and shall be for ever comforted with his masters joy And what should break the Peace and Patience of him that is assured of Everlasting Rest If the assurance of a happy death cannot make it welcome and cannot make affliction easie and fill our lives with the Joyes of Hope I know not what can do it But alas for those poor souls that know not whither death will send them or at least have not good grounds of hope what wonder if through the fear of death they be all their life time subject unto bondage Heb. 2.14 Methinks in the midst of their wealth and pleasure they should not be so stupid as to forget the millions that are gone before them that lately were as jovial and secure as they and how short their dreaming feast will be Methinks all the beauty of their fleshly Idols should be blasted with those nipping frosts and storms that in their serious forethoughts come in upon them from the black and dreadful regions of death Methinks at any time it should damp their mirth and allay the ebullition of their phrenetick blood to remember For all this I must die and it may be this night that the fool must deliver up his soul and then whose shall those things be which he hath provided Luk. 12.19 20. Then who shall be the Lord and who the Knight or Gentleman and who shall wear the gay attire and who shall domineer and say Our will shall be done anâ— thus we will have it Then where is thâ— pleasure of lust and merry company anâ— meat drink and sports Methinks Soloâ—mons memento Eccles 11.9 should brinâ— them to themselves Rejoyce O young maâ— in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee iâ— the days of thy youth and walk in the wayâ— of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes 〈◊〉 but know thou that for all these things Goâ— will bring thee into judgement And as thâ— sound of these words I must shortly die methinks should be always in your ears so in reason the Question Whether must I then go should be always aâ— it were before your eyes till your soulâ— have received a satisfactory answer to it O what an amazing dreadful thing it is when an unsanctified unprepared soul must say I must depart from earth but I know not whither I know not whether unto Heaven or Hell Here I am now but where must I be for ever When men believe that their next habitation must be everlasting methinks the Question Whether must I goe should be day and night upon their minds till they can say upon good grounds I shall go to the blessed presence of the Lord O had you but the hearts of men within you methinks the sense of this one Question Whither must I go when I leave â—he flesh should so possess you that it should give your souls no rest till you were â—ble to say We shall be with Christ because he dwelleth in us here and hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his spirit or at least till you have good hopes of this and have done your best to make it sure And thus I have told you of how great importance it is to believers to attain assurance of the love of God and to know that Christ abideth in them And now I think you will confess I have proved the necessity of Self-knowledge both to the unregenerate and the regenerate though in several degrees and having opened the disease and shewed you the need of a remedy I am next to direct you in the application for the cure I Doubt not but there are many of the Hearers that by this time are desirous to be instructed how this self knowledge may be attained For whose satsfaction and for the reducing of all that hath been spoken into practise I shall next acquaint you with the Hinderances of Self-knowledge the removing of them being not the least point in the cure and with the Positive Directions to be practised for the attainment of it And because the Hinderances and Helps are contrary I shall open both together as we go on The Hinderances of self knowledge are some of them without us and some within us and so must be the Helps I. The external Hinderances are these 1. The failing of Ministers in their part of the work through unskilfulness or unfaithfulness is a great cause that so many are ignorant of themselves They are the Lights of the world and if they are ecâ—lipsed or put under a bushell if they are darkened by the snuff of their own corruptions or if they feed not their light by the oile of diligent studies and other endeavours or if they will not go â—long with men into the dark and unknown corners of the heart what wonder if mens hearts remain in darkness when those â—hat by office are appointed to afford them Light do fail them It is not a general dull discourse or critical observations upon words or the subtile decision of some nice and curious questions of the schools though these may be useful to their proper ends nor is it a neat and well composed speech about some other distant matters that is like to acquaint a sinner with himself How many sermons may we hear that to others ends are not unprofitable that are levelled at some mark or other that is very far from the Hearers hearts and therefore are never like to convince them or prick them or open and convert them And if our congregations were in such a case as that they needed no closer quickening work such preaching might be born with and commended But when so many usually sit before us that must shortly dye and are unprepared and that are condemned by the Law of God and must be pardoned or finally condemned that must be saved from their sins that they may be saved from everlasting misery I think it is time for us to talk to them of such things as most concern them and that in such a matter as may most effectually convince awake and change them When we come to them on their sick-beds we talk not then to them of distant or impertinent things oâ— words or forms or parties or by-opinions but of the state of their souls anâ— their appearing before the Lord and hoâ—
Are these the men that lately in distress did seem so humble penitent and sincere that seemed so much above these vanities that could speak with so much contempt of all the glory and pleasures of the world and with so much pitty of those vertiginous men that they now admire O what pillars have been shaken by prosperity what promises broken what sad eruptions of Pride and worldliness What openings and sad discoveries of heart doth this alluring charming tryal make And why is it that men know not themselves when they are exalted but because they did not sufficiently know themselves when they were brought low nor suspected enough the purposes and promises of their hearts in the day of their distress 4. We would little think when the Heart is warmed and raised even to Heaven in holy Ordinances how cold it will grow again and how low it will fall down And when we have attained the clearest sight of our sincerity we little think how quickly all such apprehensions may be lost and the mis-judging soul that reckons upon nothinâ— but what it sees or feels at present maâ— be at as great a loss as if it had never peâ—â—ceived any fruits of the spirit or lineamenâ— of the Image of God upon it self Hoâ— confident upon good grounds is 〈◊〉 an honest heart of its sincerity How ceâ—â—tain that it desireth to be perfectly Holy 1. That it would be rid of the nearest deareâ— sin 2. That it loves the Saints 3. That 〈◊〉 loves the light of the most searching Miniâ—stry 4. And loveth the most practical sanctâ—â—fying truths 5. And loves the Ministry 〈◊〉 means that have the greatest and most powerâ—full tendency to make themselves more 〈◊〉 all which are certain evidences of sinceâ—rity How clearly may the Heart perceiâ—â— all these and write them down and 〈◊〉 ere long have lost the sight and sense 〈◊〉 them all and find it self in darkness anâ— confusion and perhaps be perswaded thâ—â— all is contrary with them And when they read in their Diary or Book of Heart acâ—counts that at such a day in examination they found such or such an Evidence and such a one at another and many at a third yet now they may be questioning whether all this were not deceit because it seemâ— â—ontrary to their present sight and feeling â—or it is present light that the mind discernâ—â— by and not by that which is past and 〈◊〉 and of which we cannot so easily â—â—dge by looking back They find in their â—ccounts At such a time I had my soul â—â—larged in ptayer and at such a time I â—as full of Joy and at another time I had â—rong assurance and boldness with God 〈◊〉 confidence of his love in Christ and â—oubted not of the pardon of all my sins 〈◊〉 the Justification or acceptance of my â—erson But now no Joy no Assurance no â—oldness or confidence or sense of Love â—nd pardon doth appear but the soul â—â—emeth dead and carnal and unrenewed â—s the same trees that in Summer are beauâ—â—fied with pleasant fruits and flowers in Winter are deprived of their natural ornaments and seem as dead when the life is â—etired to the root The soul that once â—ould have defied the Accuser if he had â—old him that he did not Love the brethren â—or Love the sanctifying word and means â—or desire to be Holy and to be free from Sin is now as ready to believe the accusation and will sooner believe the tempter â—hen the Minister that watcheth for them 〈◊〉 one that must give account Yea now it will turn the Accuser of it self and 〈◊〉 as Satan and falsly charge it self with thâ— which Christ will acquit it of And 〈◊〉 Christ be put to Justifie us against our selvâ—â— as well as against Satan The same woâ—â— that a well composed believer hath in coâ—â—futing the calumnies of Satan the saâ—â— hath a Minister to do in confuting the faâ—â— accusations of disturbed souls against theâ— selves And how subtile how obstinaâ—â— and tenacious are they as if they 〈◊〉 learned some of the Accusers art such 〈◊〉 the uncharitable and malicious are agaiâ—â—â— their neighbours in picking quarrels wiâ—â— all that they say or do in putting the woâ—â— construction upon all in taking everâ— thing in the most uncharitable sense in aâ—â—gravating the evil extenuating the gooâ— in faining things against them that they 〈◊〉 not guilty of and denying or hiding all that commendable just such are poor disquieteâ— souls against themselves so unjust and 〈◊〉 censorious as that if they dealt as ill 〈◊〉 others they would have the more cause foâ— some of these accusations of themselves And there is not a soul so high in joâ— and sweet assurance but is lyable to faâ— as low as this And it makes our case to 〈◊〉 much more grievous then otherwise it woulâ— be because we know not our selves in the hour of our Consolations and think not how apt we are to lose all our joy and what seeds of doubts and fears and grief â—re still within us and what cause we have â—o expect a change And therefore when â—o sad a change befalleth us so contrary â—o our expectations it surprizeth us with â—error and casteth the poor soul almost â—nto despair Then cryeth the distressed â—â—nner Did I ever think to see this â—ay Are my hopes and comforts come to â—his Did I think so long that I was a child â—f God and must I now perceive that he â—isowneth me Did I draw near him as 〈◊〉 my Father and place my hope in his â—elief and now must my mouth be stopt with â—nbelief and must I look at him afar off â—nd pass by the doors of mercy with despair â—s all my sweet familiarity with the godly â—nd all my comfortable hours under the preâ—ious means of grace new come to this O how the poor soul here calls it self 〈◊〉 O vile apostate miserable sinner O that 〈◊〉 had never lived to see this gloomy day It â—ad been better for me never to have known â—he way of righteousness then thus to have â—lapsed and have all the prayers that I â—ave put up and all the Sermons I have heard and the books that I have read 〈◊〉 aggravate my sin and misery O how maâ—ny a poor Christian in this dark mis-judgeâ—ing case is ready with Job to curse the daâ— that he was born and to say of it Let it 〈◊〉 darkness let not God regard it from aboâ—â— neither let the light shine upon it Let it 〈◊〉 be joyned to the dayes of the year let it 〈◊〉 come into the number of the moneths â—â—â—cause it shut not up the doors of the womb 〈◊〉 hid not sorrow from mine eyes Why dyâ— I not from the womb Why did I not give 〈◊〉 the ghost when I came out of the belly 〈◊〉 did the knees prevent me or why the 〈◊〉 that I should suck For now should I haâ—â— lain still and been quiet Wherefore is ligâ—â— given to him that is in misery
excellency on the skie The Eternal God hath been your refuge and underneath are the everlasting armâ— Deut. 34.26 27. You may remembeâ— the mercies of your younger years of youâ— maried state and of your widdow-hood your comforts in your truly Noble Lord though troubled and interrupted by his death yet increased by the consideration of his feâ—licity with Christ your comfort in youâ— hopeful issue though abated by the injurâ— of Romish theft which stole one of the Roseâ— of your Garden that they might boast of thâ— sweetness when they called it their own 〈◊〉 may well say stole it when all the cheaâ— was performed by unknown persons in thâ— dark and no importunity by you or 〈◊〉 could procure me one dispute or conference iâ— her hearing with any of the seducers beâ—fore her person was stoln away Though comforts conveyed by creatures must havâ— their pricks yet your experience hath partly taught you and more will do that by all thâ— mixtures of sower and bitter ingredients your Father doth temper you the most wholeâ—some composition He chasteneth you foâ— your profit that you may be partaker oâ— his Holiness Heb. 12.10 and the leasâ— degree of Holiness cannot be purchased at too dear a rate His rod and staffe have comforted you and whatever are the beginnings the End will be the quiet fruit of Righteousness when you have been exercised therein And though man be mutable and friends and flesh and heart have failed you yet God is still the strength of â—our heart and your portion for ever Psal â—3 26 O the variety of learning that is â—ontained in the secret writings of a sanctified heart The variety of subjects for the most â—ruitful and delightful thoughts which you â—ay find recorded in the inwards of your â—oul How pleasant is it there to find the â—haracters of the special Love of God the â—â—eaments of his Image the transcript of 〈◊〉 Law the harmony of his gifts and graces â—â—e witness the seal and the earnest of his â—pirit and the foretasts and beginnings of â—ternal Life As Thankfulness abhors â—â—livion and is a Recording grace and keepâ—â—h Histories and Catalogues of Mercies so 〈◊〉 it a Reward unto it self and by these Reâ—â—rds it furnisheth the soul with matter for â—he sweetest employments and delights Is it 〈◊〉 pleasant to you there to Read how God â—â—th confuted the objections of distrust how 〈◊〉 he hath condescended to your weakness and pardoned you when you could not easily forgive your self how oft he hath entertained you in secret with his Love and visited you with his consolations How neer him sometimes you have got in fervent prayer and serious meditation And when for a season he hath hid his face how soon and seasonably he returned How oft he hath found you weeping and hath wiped away your tears and calmed and quieted your troubled soul How he hath resolved your doubts and expelled your fears and heard your prayers How comfortably he hath called you His Child and given you leave and commanded you to call him Father when Christ hath brought you with boldness into his presence How sweet should it be to your remembrance to think how the Love of Christ hath sometime exalted you above these sublunary things How the Spirit hath taken you up to Heaven and shewed to your faith the Glory of the New Hierusalem the blessed company of those Holy spirits that attend the Throne of the Majesty of God and the shining face of your glorified Head By what seasonable and happy Messengers he hath sent you the Cluster of Grapes as the first fruits of the land of promise and commanded you oft to Take and Eate the Bread of Life How oft he hath reached to your thirsty soul the fruit of the Vine and turned it sacramentally into his blood and bid you drink it in remembrance of him till he come and feast you with his fullest Love and satisfie you with the pleasure and presence of his Glory But the volumes of mercy written in your heart are too great to be by me transcribed I can easily appeal to you that are acquainted with it whether such Heart-employment be not more pleasant and more profitable than any of the entertainments that flashy wit or gaudy gallantry or merriments luxurit or preferments can afford Is it not better converse with Christ at home than with such as are described Psa 12. abroad To dwell with all that blessed retinue Gal. 5.22 23. than with Pride Vainglory Envy Dissimulation Hypocrisie Falshood time-wasting soul-destroying pleasures to say nothing of the filthiness which Christian years abhor the mention of and which God himself in time will judge Eph. 5.3 4 5 6. Heb. 13.4 and the rest recited Gal. 5.19 20 21. If ungodly persons do find it more unpleasant to converse at home no wonder when there is nothing but darkness and defilement and when they have put God from them and entertained Satan so that their hearts are like to haunted houses where terrible cries and apparitions do make it a place of fear to the inhabitants But if their souls had such blessed inhabitants as yours could they meet there with a reconciled God a Father a Saviour and a sanctifier had they souls that kept a correspondency with Heaven it would not seem so sad and terrible a life to dwell at home and withdraw from that noise of vanity abroad which are but the drums and trumpets of the devil to encourage his deluded followers and drown the cries of miserable souls Your dearest friends and chiefest treasure are not abroad in Court or Country but above you and within you where then should your delightful converse be but where your friends and treasure are Matth. 6.21 Phil. 3.20 Col. 3.1 2 3 4. When then is almost nothing to be found in the conversation of the world but discord and distraction and confusion and clamours and malice and treachery is it not better to retire into such a heart where notwithstanding infirmities and some doubts and fears there is order and concord and harmony and such Peace as the world can neither give nor take away O blessed be the hand of Love that blotted out the names of Honour and Riches and Pleasures and carnal interest and accommodations from your heart and inscribed his own in Characters never to be obliterate That turned out Vsurpers and so prepared and furnished your heart as to make and judge it such as no one is worthy of it but himself O what a Court have you chosen for your abode How high and Glorious how pure and holy unchangeable and safe How ambitiously do you avoid ambition How great are you in the lowliness of your mind How high in your Humility Will no lower a place than Heaven content you to converse in For Heart-converse and Heaven-converse are as much one as beholding both the Glass and Face Will no lower correspondents satisfie you than the Host of Heaven Cannot the company of imperfect mortals serve your
mind be exercised in loving him â—he tongue in singing him the hand in wriâ—ing him let these holy studies be the beâ—â—evers work 2. He that knoweth himself may certainâ—â— know that there is another life of Happiâ—ess or Misery for man to live when this 〈◊〉 ended For he must needs know that his â—oul is capable of a spiritual and glorious â—elicity with God and of immaterial objects and that time is as nothing to it and transitory creatures afford it no satisfaction or Rest and that the Hopes and Fears of the Life to come are the Divine engines by which the Moral Government of the world is carryed on and that the very nature of man is such as that without such Apprehensions Hopes and Fears he could not in a connaturall way be Governed and brought unto the End to which his Nature is enclined and adapted But the world would be as a Wilderness and men as bruits And he may well know that God made not such faculties in vain nor suited them to an end which cannot be attained nor to a work which would prove but their trouble and deceit He may be sure that a meer probability or possibility of an everlasting Life should engage a reasonable creature in all possible diligence in Piety Righteousness Charity to attaine it And so Religion and holy endeavours are become the duty of man as man there being few such Infidels or Atheists to be found on earth as dare say They are sure there 's no other life for man And doubtless whatsoever is by Nature and Reason made mans Duty is not delusory and vain Nor is it Reasonable to think that Falshood frustration and deceit are the ordinary way by which mankind is Governed by the most wise and Holy God So that the end of man may be clearly gathered from his Nature forasmuch as God doth Certainly suit his workes unto their proper use and ends It is therefore the ignorance of our selves that makes men question the Immortality of soules And I may adde it is the Ignorance of the nature of Conscience and of all Morality and of the reason of Iustice among men that makes men doubt of the discriminating Iustice of the Lord which is hereafter to be manifested 3. Did men know themselves they would better know the evill and odiousness of sin As poverty and sickness are better known by feeling then by hearesay so also is sin To hear a discourse or read â— Booke of the Nature Prognosticks and Cure of the plague consumpâ—ion or droâ—sie doth little affect us while we seem â—o be sound and safe our selves But when we find the maladie in our flesh â—nd perceive the danger we have then â—nother manner of knowledge of it Did â—ou but see and feele sin as it is in your â—earts and lives as oft as you read and â—eare of it in the Law of God I dare say sin would not seeme a jesting matter not would those be censured as too precise that are carefull to avoid it any more then they that are carefull to avoid infectious diseases or crimes against the Lawes of man that hazzard their temporall felicity or lives 4. It s want of self-aquaintance that keepes the soule from kindly Humiliation That men are insensible of their Spirituall calamityes and lie under a load of unpardoned sin and Gods displeasure and never feele it nor loath themselves for all the abominations of their hearts and lives nor make complaint to God or man with any seriousness and sense How many hearts would be filled with wholsome griefe and care that now are careless and almost past feeling and how many eyes would stream forth teares that now are dry if men were but truly acquainted with themselves It is self-knowledge that causeth the solid peace and joy of a Believer as conscious of that Grace that warranteth his peace and joy But it is self-deceit and ignorance that quieteth the presumptuous that walke as carelesly and sleep as quietly and blesse themselves from Hell as confidently when it is ready to devoure them as if the bitterness of death were past and hypocrisy would never be discoverred 5. It is unacquaintednes with themselves that makes Christ so undervalued by the unhumbled world that his Name is reverenced but his office and Saving grace are disregarded Men could not set so light by the Physicion that felt their sicknes and understood their danger Were you sensible that you are under the wrath of God and shall shortly and certainly be in Hell if a Christ received by a hearty working purifying faith do not deliver you I dare say you would have more serious savory thoughts of Christ more yearnings after him more fervent prayers for his healing grace and sweet remembrance of his love and merits example doctrine and inestimable benefits then lifeless hypocrites ever were acquainted with Imagine with what desires and expectations the diseased blind and lame cryed after him for healing to their bodies when he was on earth And would you not more highly value him more importunately solicite him for your soules if you knew your selves 6. It is unacquaintednes with themselves that makes men think so unworthily of a Holy Heavenly Conversation and that possesseth them with foolish prejudice against the holy Care and diligence of believers did men but value their immortall souls as Reason itself requireth them to do is it possible they should venture them so easily upon everlasting misery and account it unnecessary strictnes in them that dare not be as desperately venturous as they but fly from sin and fear the threatnings of the Lord Did men but consideratly understand the worth and concernment of their souls is it possible they should hazard them for a thing of nought and set them at saile for the favor of superiors or the transitory pleasures and honours of the world Could they thinke the greatest care and labour of so short a life to be too much for the securing of their salvation Could they think so many studious carefull dayes and so much toil to be but meet and necessary for their bodyes and yet think all too much that 's done for their immortall souls Did men but practically know that they are the Subjects of the God of Heaven they durst not think the diligent obeying him to be a needless thing when they like that Child or servant best that is most willing and diligent in their Service Alas were men but acquainted with their weakness and sinfull failings when they have done their best and how much short the hoylest Persons do come of what they are obliged to by the Lawes and mercies of the Lord they durst not make a scorn of diligence nor hate or blame men for endeavouring to be better that are sure at best they shall be too bad When the worst of men that are themselves the greatest neglecters of God and their salvation shall cry out against a Holy life and making so much a do for Heaven as
and so make the way of life more difficult if not impossible had they indeed the Keyes by multiplying of their supposed Necessaries Did they but know themselves aright it were impossible they should dare to pass the sentence of damnation on the far greatest part of the Christian world because they are not subject to their pretended Vice-Christ Durst one of the most leprous corrupted sort of Christians in the world unchurch all the rest that will not be as bad as they condemn all other Christians as Heroticks for Schismaticks either for their adhering to the truth or for errors and faults far smaller then their own Did they know themselves and their own corruptions they durst not thus condemn themselves by so presumptuous and blind a condemnation of the best and greatest part of the Church of Christ which is dearest to him as purchased by his blood If either the Protestants or the Greeks or the Armenians Georgians Syrians Aegyptians or Aethiopian Churches be in as bad and dangerous a case as these Vsurping Censurers tell the world they are what then will become of the tyrannous superstitious polluted blood-thirsty Church of Rome What is it but Self-ignorance that perverteth the unsetled among us and sends them over to the Romane tents No man could rationally become a Papist if he knew himself Let me prove this to you in these four Instances 1. If he had but the knowledge of his Natural senses he could not take them to be all deceived and the senses of all other as well as his about their proper object and believe the Priests that Bread is no Bread or Wine no Wine when all mens senses testifie the contrary 2. Some of them turn Papists because they see some differences among other Christians and hear them call one another by names of contumely and reproach and therefore they think that such can 〈◊〉 no true Churches of Christ But if thâ—â— knew themselves they would be acquainted with more culpable errors in themselves then those for which many others are reproached and see how irrational a thing it is to change their Religion upon the scolding words or slanders of another or which is worse upon their own uncharitable censures 3. Some turn to the Papists as apprehending their Ceremonious kind of Religion to be an easier way to Heaven then ours But if they knew themselves they would know that it is a more solid and spiritual sort of food that their nature doth require and a more searching Physick that must cure their diseases and that shells and chaff will not feed but choak and starve their souls 4. All that turn Papists must believe that they were unjustified and out of the Catholick Church before and consequently void of â—he Love of God and special grace For they receive it as one of the Romish Articles that out of their Church there is no salvaâ—ion But if these persons were indeed beâ—ore ungodly if they knew themselves they would find that there is a greater matter â—ecessary then believing in the Pope and â—urning to that faction even to turn to God by faith in Christ without which no opinions or profession can save them But if they had the Love of God before then they were Justified and in the Church before and therefore Protestants are of the true Church and it is not confined to the Roman subjects So that if they knew this they could not turn Papists without a palpable contradiction The Papists fugitives tell us we are us true Ministers nor our Ministery effectual and blest of God What need we more then imitate Paul when his Ministery was accused and call them to the Knowledge of themselves Examine your selves whether ye be in the faith Prove your selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates If they were ungodly and void of the Love of God while they were under our Ministry no wonder if they turn Papists For its just with God that those that receive 〈◊〉 the Love of the truth that they may be saved be given over to strong delusions to believe a lye 2 Thes 2.10 11. But if they received themselves the Love of God in our Churches by our Ministry they shaâ—â— be our witnesses against themselves And it is others as well as Papists thâ—â— would be kept from Church divisions if they did but know themselves Church Governours would be afraid of laying things unnecessary as stumbling-blocks before the weak and of laying the Vnity and Peace of the Church upon them and casting out of the Vineyard of the Lord and out of their Communion all such as are not in such unnecessary or little things of their opinion or way The words of the great Apostle of the Gentiles Rom. 14.15 so plainly and fully deciding this matter would not have stood so long in the Bible as non-dicta or utterly insignificant in the eyes of so many Rulers of the Churches if they had known themselves as having need of their Brethrens charity and forbearance Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtfull disputations For one believeth that he may eat all things another that is weak eateth herbs Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not much less destroy him or excommunicate him and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth For God hath received him Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own Master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be holden up for God is able to make him stand One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind ver 13. Let us not therefore judge one another any more but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way ver 17. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost 18. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men Chap. 15.1 We then that are strong ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves v. 7. Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Self-acquaintance would help men to understand these precepts and be patient with the weak when we our selves have so much weakness and not to vex or reject our brethren for little or unnecessary things lest Christ reject or grieve us that have greater faults Self-acquaintance also would do much to heal the dividing humour of the people and instead of separating from all that are not of their mind they would think themselves more unworthy of the Communion of the Church then the Church of theirs Self-acquaintance makes men tender and compassionate and cureth a censorious contemptuous mind It also silenceth passionate contentious disputes and makes men suspicious of their own understandings and therefore forbiddeth them intemperately
Hearken then whether â—e think that God or the world Heaven or â—arth Soul or body be more worthy of â—ans chiefest care and diligence and then â—udge whether such men did know themselves â—n their health and pride when all this talk would have been derided by them as too preâ—ise and such a life accounted over-strict and â—eedless as then they are approving and wishâ—ng they had lived When that Minister or â—riend should have once been taken for â—ensorious abusive self-conceited and unsufferable that would have talkt of them â—n that language as when Death approacheth they talk of themselves or would have spoke as plainly and hardly of them as they will then do of themselves Doth â—ot this mutability shew how few men now have a true knowledge of themselves What is the Repentance of the living and the Desperation of the damned but a declaration that the persons Repenting and Despairing were unacquainted with themselves before Indeed the erroneous Despair of men while Grace is offered them comes from Ignorance of the Mercy of God and willingness of Christ to receive all that arâ— willing to return But yet the sense of sin and misery that occasioneth this erroneous Despair doth shew that men were before erroneous in their presumption and self-esteem Saith Bernard in Cant. Vtraqâ—â— Cognitio Dei scilicet tui tibi necessariâ— est ad salutem quia sicut ex notitia tui venit in te timor Dei atque ex Dei notitia itidem amor sic è contra de ignorantia 〈◊〉 superbia ac de Dei ignorantia venit desperatio that is Both the knowledge of God and of thy self is necessary to salvation because as from the Knowledge of thy self the Fear of God cometh into thee and Love from the knowledge of God so on the contrary from the Ignorance of thy self cometh pride and from the Ignorance of God comes Desperation Quid est sapientia inquit Seneca Semper idem Velle idem Nolleâ—â— At non potest idem semper placere nisi rectum Wisdom appeareth in alwayes Willing and alwayes Nilling the same thing but its only Right and Good that can alwayes please Poor men that must confess their sin and misery at last would shew a more seasonable acquaintance with themselves if they would do it now and say with the Prodigal I will go to my Father and say to him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy son In time this Knowledge confession may be saving Even a Seneca could say without the Scripture Initium est salutis notitia peccati Nam qui peccare se nescit corrigi non vult Ideo quantum potes teipsum argue Inquire in te accusatoris primuÌ„ partibus fungere deinde judicis novissime deprecatoris i. e. The knowledge of sin is the beginning of recovery or health For he that knows not that he sinneth will not be corrected Reprehend thy self therefore as much as thou canst Inquire into thy self First play the part of an Accuser then of a Judge and lastly of one that asketh pardon It is not because men are Innocent or Safe that we now hear so little confession or complaint but because they are sinfull and miserable in so great a measure as not to Know or Feel it Quare vitia â—ua nemo confitetur inquit Seneca Quia â—tiam nunc in illis est Somnium narraâ—e vigilantis est vitia sua confiteri â—anitatis judicium est i. e. Why doth no â—an confess his vices Because he is yet in â—hem To tell his dreams is the part of a â—an that is awake and to confess his faults is a sign of health If you call a Poor man Rich or a deformed person beautifull or a vile ungodly person vertuous or an ignorant Barbarian learned will not the hearers think you do not know them And how should they think better of your knowledge of your selves if any of you that are yet in the flesh will say you are spiritual and those that hate the Holiness and Justice and Government of God will say they love him or those that are in a state of Enmity to God and are as near to Hell as the Execution is to the Sentence of the Law will perswade themselves and others that they are the Members of Christ the children of God and the heirs of Heaven and take it ill of any that would question it though only to perswade them to make it sure and to take heed what they trust to when endless Joy or Misery must be the issue 7. Doth it not manifest how little men know themselves when in every suffering that befals them they overlook the Cause of all within them and fall upon others or quarrel with every thing that standeth in their way Their contempt of God doth cast them into some affliction and they quarrel with the Instruments and medle not with the mortall cause at home Their sin finds them out and testifieth against them and they are angry with the â—od and repine at Providence as if God himself were more to be suspected of the Cause then they Yea it is become with many a serious doubt Whether God doth not Necessitate them to sin and Whether they omit not duty meerly because he will not give them power to perform it and Whether their sin be any other then a Relation unavoidably resulting from a Foundation laid by the hand of God himself Do men know themselves that will sooner suspect and blame the most Righteous Holy God then their own unrighteous carnal hearts Man drinketh up iniquity like water but there is no unrighteousnes with God Saith Innocent Conceptus est homo in foetore luxuria quódque deterius est in labe peccati natus ad laborem timorem dolorem c. Agit prava quibus offendit Deum offendit proximum offendit seipsum agit turpia quibus polluit famam polluit personam polluit conscientiam Agit vana quibus negligit sana negligit utilia negligit necessaria Man is conceived in the filth or stink of luxury or lust and which is worse in the stain of sin born to labour fear and pain c. He doth that which is evil to the offence of God his neighbour and himself He doth that which is filthy to the polluting of his fame his person and his Conscience He doth that which is vain neglecting what is sound and profitable and necessary And is not such a frail and sinfull wight more likely to be the cause of sin then God and to be culpable in all the ill that doth befall us And it shews that men little know themselves when all their complaints are poured out more fluently on others then themselves Like sick stomacks that find fault with every dish when the fault is within them Or like pained weak or froward children that quarrel with every thing that toucheth them when the cause is in themselves If they want
if you â—ere ofter in your hearts Prayer would not â—eem needless if you knew your needs Know your selves and be prayerless if you can When the Prodigal was convinced he presently purposeth to Confess and Pray When Paul was converted Ananias hath this evidence of it from God Behold he prayeth Act. 9.11 Indeed the inward part of prayer is the motion of a returning soul to God saith Hugo Oratio est piae mentis humilis ad Deum conversio fide spe charitate subnixa Prayer is the turning of a pious humble soul to God leaning upon faith hope and love It is Oranti subsidium Deo sacrificium daemonibus flagellum The relief of the Petitioner the sacrifice of God the scourge of Devils And self-knowledge would teach men how to pray Your own hearts would be the best Prayer-books to you if you were skilfull in reading them Did you see what sin is and in what Relation you stand to God to Heaven and Hell it would drive you above your beads and lifeless words of course and make you know that 〈◊〉 pray to God for pardon and salvation 〈◊〉 not a work for a sleepy soul saith 〈◊〉 Ille Deo veram Orationem exhibet 〈◊〉 metipsum cognoscit quia pulvis sit 〈◊〉 videt qui nihil sibi virtutis tribuit 〈◊〉 He offereth the truest prayer to God 〈◊〉 knoweth himself that humbly seeth he is but dust and ascribeth not vertue to himself c. Nothing quencheth prayer more then to be mistaken or mindless about our selves When we go from home this fire goes out But when we return and search our hearts and see the sins the wants the weaknesses that are there and perceive the danger that is before us and withall the glorious hopes that are offered us here 's fuell and bellows to enflame the soul and cure it of its drowsiness and dumbness Help any sinner to a clearer light to see into his heart and life and to a livelyer sense of his own condition and I warrant you he will be more disposed to fervent prayer and will better understand the meaning of those words Luke 18.1 That men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint and 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing You may hear some impious persons now disputing against frequent and fervent prayer and saying What need all this ado But if you were able to open these mens eyes and shew them what is within them and before them you would quickly answer all their arguments and convince them better then words can do and put an end to the dispute You would set all the prayerless families in Town and Country Gentlemens and poor mens on fervent calling upon God if you could but help them to such a sight of their sin and danger as shortly the stoutest of them must have Why do they pray and call for prayers when they come to die but that they begin a little better to know themselves They see then that youth and health and honour are not the things nor make them not so happy as befooling prosperity once perswaded them Did they believe and consider what God saith of them and not what flattery and self-love say it would open the mouths of them that are most speechless But those that are born deaf are alwayes dumb How can they speak that language with desire to God which they never learn't by faith from God or by knowledge of themselves And self-knowledge would teach men what to ask They would feel most need of spiritual mercies and beg hardest for them and for outward things they would ask but for their daily bread and not be foolishly importunate with God for that which they know not to be suitable or good for them Fideliter supplicans Deo pro necessitatibus hujus vitae miserecorditer auditur miserecorditer non auditur Quid enim infirmo sit utilius magis novit medicus quam agrotus saith Prosper It s mercy to be denyed sometimes when we pray for outward things Our Physition and not we must choose our Physick and prescribe our diet And if men knew themselves it would teach them on what terms to expect the hearing of their prayers Neither to be accepted for their merits nor yet to be accepted without that faith and Repentance and desire that seriousness humility and sincerity of heart which the very nature of Prayer to God doth contain or presuppose He that nameth the name of Christ must depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 and must wash himself and make him clean and put away the evil of his doings from before the eyes of God and cease to do evil and learn to do well Isa 1.16 17. As knowing that though a Simon Magus must Repent and Pray Acts 8.22 and the wicked in forsaking his way and thoughts and returning to the Lord must seek him while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6 7. and the prayers of a humbled Publican are heard when he sets his prayer against his sins Yet if he would cherish his sin by prayer and flatter himself into a presumption and security in a wicked life because he useth to ask God forgiveness iâ— he thus regard iniquity in his heart God will not hear his prayers Psal 66.18 and we know that such impenitent sinners God heareth not John 9.31 And thus the prayers of the wicked as wicked which are not a withdrawing from his wickedness but a bolster of his security and as a craving of protection and leave to sin are but an abomination to the Lord Prov. 17.8 28 9. Ferrum prius extrahendum The bullet the thorn must be first got out before any medicine can heal their wounds Saith Augustine Plus Deo placet latratus canum mugitus boum grunnitus porcorum quan cantus clericorum luxuriantium The barking of dogs the lowing of beasts the grunting of swine doth please God better then the singing of luxuriant Clergy men Did men know themselves and who they have to do with in their prayers they would not go from Cards and Dice and gluttony and fornication and railing lying or reviling at the servants of the Lord to a few hypocritical words of prayer to salve all till the next time and wipe their mouthâ— as if one sin had procured the forgiveness of another Nor would they shut up a day â—f worldliness ambition sensuality or â—rofaneness with a few heartless words of confession and supplication or with the words of penitence while their hearts are impenitent as if when they have abused God by sin they would make him amends or reconcile him by their mockery Nor would they think to be accepted by Praying for that which they would not have for holiness when they hate it and for deliverance from the sins which they would not be delivered from and would not have their prayers granted 7. If you know not your selves it will unfit you for Thanksgiving Your greatest Mercies will be least
esteemed And the lesser will be misesteemed And while you are unthankfull for what you have you will be absurdly thanking God for that which indeed you have not What inestimable Mercies are daily trodden under feet by sinners that know not their worth because they know not their own necessities They have Time to Repent and make preparation for an endless life But they know not the worth of it but unthankfully neglect it and cast it away on the basest vanities As if worldly cares or wicked company or fleshly lusts or Cards or Dice or revellings or idleness were exercises in which they might better improve it then the works of Holiness Justice and Mercy which God hath made the business of their lives Or as if the profits and pleasures and vain glory of this world did better deserve it then their Creator and their own souls and the Heavenly inheritance But if their eyes were opened to see where they stand and what they are and what are their dangers and necessities how thankfull would they be for one year one moneth one day one hour to Repent and cry to God for Mercy and how sensibly would they perceive that a hundred years time is not too long to spend in serious preparation for eternity They have now the faithfull Ministers of Christ inviting them in his name to come to him and receive the riches of his grace and beseeching them in his stead to be reconciled unto God Mat. 22. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. But they stop their ears and harden their hearts and stiffen their necks and love not to be disturbed in their sins but are angry with those that are sollicitous for their salvation and revile them as too precise and strict that tell them of the One thing needfull and perswade them to choose the better part and tell them where their sin will leave them They take them for their friends that will encourage them in the way that God condemneth and be merry with them in the way to endless sorrow and flatter them into security and impenitency till the time of grace be past but they hate them as their enemies that faithfully reprove them and tell them of their folly and call them to a safer better way Alas Sirs there would not be so many Nations Congregations and Souls now left in darkness and misery by their own doing having driven away the Mercy of the Gospel and thrust their faithfull Teachers from them if they knew themselves Men would not triumph in their own calamity when they have expelled their faithfull Teachers the dust of whose feet the sweat of their brows the tears of their eyes and the fervent prayers and groans of their hearts must witness against them if they knew themselves They would not be like a mad man that glorieth that he hath beaten away his Physition and his friends and is left to himself if they knew themselves When they have the earnest Calls of the Word without and convictions and urgings of the Spirit of God and their Consciences within they would not wilfully go on and cast these mercies at their heels if they knew themselves They have leave to joyn in the Communion of Saints and to enjoy the benefit of holy Society in prayer and conference and mutual love and spiritual assistance and in the publick worship of God but they pass these by as having more of trouble and burden then of mercy because they little know themselves And their inferior Mercies of Health and Wealth and food and rayment and friends and accommodations they misesteem and misuse and value them but as provision for the flesh and the satisfaction of their sensual and inordinate desires and not as their necessary provision for their duty in the way to Heaven And therefore they are most thankfull for their greatest snares For that honour and abundance which are stronger temptations then they can overcome For those fleshly contentments and delights which are the enemies of grace and the prison of their noblest faculties and the undoing of their souls If they could for shame speak out they would thank God more for a whore or a succesfull gain or the favour of their earthen gods or for preferment or commodity lands or houses then ever they did for all the offers of Christ and grace and all the invitations to a holy life For there is much more joy and pleasure in their hearts for the former then the latter And Self-ignorance will also corrupt your Thanksgiving and turn it into sin and folly Is it not shame and pitty to hear an unpardoned enemy of Holiness and of God to thank God that he is Justified and Reconciled to God and Adopted to be his child and made a member of Jesus Christ And to hear a carnal unregenerate person give thanks for his Regeneration and Sanctification by the Holy Ghost As it is to hear a leper give thanks for perfect health or a fool or mad man thank God for making him wiser then his neighbours Is it not pitty to hear a miserable soul thank God for the Grace which he never had and one that is near eternal misery to thank God for making him an heir of Glory O how many have thankt God Pharisaitally for the pardon of their sins that must for ever suffer for those sins How many have thanked him for giving them the assured hopes of Glory that must be thrust out into endless misery As I having known many that by their friends and by theâ—â—selves have been flattered into consiâ—â—â— hopes of life when they were ready 〈◊〉 die have thankt God that the were 〈◊〉 well and the worst was past which in 〈◊〉 eyes of judicious standers by was not 〈◊〉 least aggravation of their sad and deploâ—â—â—ble state Methinks it is one of the sadâ—dest spectacles in the world to hear a 〈◊〉 thanking God for the assurance of salvaâ—â—â—on that is in a state of condemnation and like to be in Hell for ever These absurdities could not corrupt your highest duâ—ties and turn them into sin if you knew your selves A man that knoweth his own necessitiâ—â— and unworthiness is thankfull for a little to God and man Mercy is as no mercy when there is no sense of need or misery Sapienti notum est quanti res quaeque taxanda sit saith Seneca Therefore God useth to humble them so low in the work of conversion whom he meaneth ever after to imploy 〈◊〉 the magnifying of his grace And then that which is folly and hypocrisie from a Pharisee will be an acceptable sacrifice from a humbled gratefull soul and he that by Grace is differenced from other men may modestly thank God that he is not as other men For had he nothing more to thank God for then the ungodly world he would be rejected and perish with the world And if he have more then the world and yet be no more thankfull then the world he would be guilty of greater unthankfulness then the world Non
Heart to Prayer or Holy conference but loathes them and is weary of them and had rather talk of fleshly pleasures to pretend that yet his Heart is Good and that God will excuse him for not expressing it and that it is his Prudence and his freedome from Hypocrisie that maketh his tongue to be so much unacquainted with the goodness of his Heart this is but to play the Hypocrite to prove that he is no Hypocrite and to cover his Ignorance in the matters of his Salvation with the expression of his Ignorance of the very nature and use of Heart and Tongue and to cast by the Lawes of God and his owne duty and cover this impiety with the name of Prudence If Heart and Tongue be not used for God what do you either with a Heart or Tongue The case is plaine to men that can see that it is your strangness to your selves that is the cause that you have little to say against yourselves when you should confess your sins to God and so little to say for your selves when you should beg his grace and so little to say of your selves when you should open your hearts to those that can advise you But that you see not that this is the Cause of your Dumbness who see so little of your owne corruptions is no wonder while you are so strange at home Had you but so much knowledge of yourselves as to see that it is the strangeness to your selves that maketh you so prayerless and mute and so much sense as to complaine of your darkness and be willing to come into the light it were a signe that light is coming in to you and that you are in a hopefull way of cure But when you neither know yourselves nor know that you do not know yourselves your Ignorance and Pride are like to cherish your Presumption and impiety till the Light of grace or the fire of Hell have taught you better to know your selves 2. And here you may understand the reason why people fearing God are so apt to accuse and condemn themselves to be too much cast downe and why they that have cause of greatest joy do somtimes walk more heavily then others It is because they know more of their sinfulness and take more notice of their inward corruptions and outward failings then presumptuous sinners do of theirs Because they know their faults and wants they are cast down But when they come farther to see their interest in Christ and grace they will be raised up againe Before they are converted they usually presume as being ignorant of their sin and misery In the infancy of grace they know these but yet languish for want of more knoledge of Christ and mercy But he that knoweth fully both himself and Christ both misery and mercy is humbled and comforted Cast downe and exalted As a man that never saw the sea is not afraid of it and he that seeth it but a farre off and thinks he shall never come neere it is not much afraid of it he that is drowned in it is worse then afraid and he that is tossed by the waves and doubteth of ever coming safe to harbour is the fearfull person he that is tossed but hath good hopes of a safe arrivall hath feares that are abated or overcome with hope but he that is safe-landed is past his feares The first is like him that never saw the misery of the ungodly the Second is like him that seeth it in generall but thinks it doth not belong to him the third is like the damned that are past remedie the fourth is like the humbled doubting Christian that seeth the danger but doth too much question or forget the helpes the fifth is like the Christian of a stronger faith that sees the danger but withall seeth his help and safety the sixth is like the glorifyed saints that are past the danger Though the doubting Christian know rot his sincerity and therefore knoweth not himself so well as the strong believer doth yet in that he knoweth his sinfullness and unworthyness he knoweth himself better then the presumptuous world These two Remarkes with the foregoing Caution having interposed some what out of place I now returne to prosecute my Exhortation that no matters may seem so sweet so honourable so great or necessary as to pass with you for excuses for the neglecting of the most diligent and impartiall study of yourselves All persons to whom I can address this Exhortation are either Godly or ungodly in the state of sin or in the state of Grace And both of them have need to study themselves I. And to begin with the unrenewed carnall sort it is they that have the greatest need to be better acquainted with themselves O that I knew how to make them sensible of it If any thing will doe it me thinkes it should be done by acquainting them how much their endless state is concerned in it In order hereunto let me yet adde to all that is said already these few considerations 1. If you know not yourselves you know not whether you are the children of God or not nor whether you must be for ever in Heaven or Hell no nor whether you may not within this houre behold the angry face of God which will frowne you into damnation And is this a matter for a man of Reason to be quietly and contentedly ignorant of It is a business of such unspeakable concernment to know whether you must be everlastingly in Heaven or Hell that no man can spare his cost or paines about it without betraying and disgracing his understanding you are sure you shall be here but a little while Those Bodies you all know will hold your souls but a little longer As you know that you that are now together here attending must presently quit this roome and be gone so you know that when you have staid a little longer you must quit this world and be gone into another And I think there is not the proudest of you but would be taken downe nor the most sluggish or dead-hearted but would be awakened if you knew that you must goe to endless misery and that your dying houre would be your enterance into Hell And if you know not your selves you know not but it may be so And to know nothing to the contray would be terrible to you if you well considered it especialy when you have so much cause to feare it O Sirs for a man to sit here sencelesly in these seats that knows not but he may burne in Hell for ever and knowes not because he is blind and careless how unsuitable is it to the principle of self love and self preservation and how much unbeseemiâ—â— the Rational Nature to have no 〈◊〉 or care when you looke before you unto the unquenchable fire and the utter darkness where as the Heathen Poet speakes Nec mortis poenas mors altera finiet hujuâ— Horaque erit tantis ultima nulla malis If any
likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 3. All those are unregenerate that depend not upon God as their chiefest Benefactor and do not most carefully apply themselves to him as knowing that in his favour is life Psal 30.5 and that his loving kindness is better then life Psal 63.3 and that to his judgement we must finally stand or fall but do ambitiously seek the favour of men and call them their Benefactors Luke 22.25 Matth. 23.9 whatever become of the favour of God He is no child of God that preferreth not the Love of God before the Love of all the world He is no heir of heaven that preferreth not the fruition of God in Heaven before all worldly glory and felicity Col. 4.1 2 3. If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affection on things above not on things on the earth The Love of God is the summ of Holiness the Heart of the new creature the perfecting of it is the perfection and felicity of man 4. They are certainly unregenerate that Believe not the Gospel and take not Christ for their only Saviour and his promises of Grace and Glory as purchased by his Sacrifice and Merits for the Foundation of their hopes on which they resolve to trust their souls for pardon and for peace with God and endless Happiness Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 1 John 5.11 12. This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life When our Happiness was in Adams hands he lost it It is now put into safer hands and Jesus Christ the second Adam is become our Treasury He is the Head of the Body from whom each member hath quickning influence Eph. 1.22 The life of Saints is in him as the life of the tree is in the root unseen Col. 4.3 4. Holiness is a Living unto God in Christ Though we are dead with Christ to the Law and to the world and to the flesh we are alive to God So Paul describeth our case in his own Gal. 2.19 20. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is the Vine and we are the branches without him we can do nothing If you abide not in him and his words in you you are cast forth as a branch and withered which men gather and cast into the fire and they are burnt John 15.1 5 6 7. In Baptism you are married unto Christ as to the external solemnization and in spiritual Regeneration your Hearts do inwardly close with him entertain him and resign themselves unto him by Faith and Love and by a resolved Covenant become his own And therefore Baptism and the Lords Supper are called Sacraments because as Souldiers were wont by an Oath and listing their names and other engaging Ceremonies to oblige themselveâ— to their Commanders and their Vow waâ— called A Sacrament so do we engage ouâ— selves to Christ in the holy Vow or Covenanâ— entered in Baptism and renewed in the Lords Supper 5. That person is certainly unregenerate that never was convinced of a Necessity of Sanctification or never perceived an excellency and amiableness in Holiness of heart and life and loved it in others and desired it himself and never gave up himself to the Holy Ghost to be further sanctified in the use of his appointed means desiring to be perfect and willing to press forward towards the mark and to abound in grace Much less is that person renewed by the Holy Ghost that hateth Holiness and had rather be without it and would not walk in the fear and obedience of the Lord. The Spirit of Holiness is that Life by which Christ quickneth all that are his members He is no member of Christ that is without it Rom. 8.9 According to his Mercy he saveth us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 6. That person is unregenerate that is under the Dominion of his fleshly desires and mindeth the things of the flesh above the things of the Spirit and hath not mortified it so far as not to live according to it A carnal mind and a carnal life are opposite to Holiness as Sickness is tâ— Health and Darkness unto Light Rom. 8.1 to 14. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if by the spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness revellings and such like of which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Galat. 5.18 to 25. 7. Lastly that person is certainly unregenerate that so far valueth and loveth this world or any of the carnal accommodations therein as practically to prefer them before the Love of God and the Hopes of Everlasting Glory seeking it first with highest estimation and holding it fastest so as that he will rather venture his soul upon the threatned wrath of God then his body upon the wrath of man and will be religious no further then may consist with his prosperity or safety in the world and hath something that he cannot part with for Christ and heaven because it is dearer to him then they Let this man go never so far in Religion as long
and built your hopes upon his promises and can with a cheerfull contempt let go the world for the accomplishment of your hopes remember yet that there is a secret root of unbelief remaining in you and that this odious sin is but imperfectly mortified in the best and that its more then possible that you may see the day when the tempter will assault you with questionings of the word of God and trouble you with the injections of blasphemous thoughts and doubts whether it be true or not and that you that have thought of God of Christ of Heaven of the Immortal state of souls with joy and satisfied confidence may be in the dark about them affrighted with ugly suggestions of the enemy and may think of them all with troublesome distracting doubts and be forced to cry with the Disciples Luke 17.5 Lord increase our faith And as he Mark 9.24 Lord I believe help thou my unbelief Yea worse then so some upright souls have been so amazed and distracted by the Tempter and their distempered hearts as to think they do not believe at all nor yet are able sincerely to say Lord help thou my unbelief When yet at that time their Fears and their abstaining from iniquity shew that they Believe the Threatnings and therefore indeed believe the word Now if we did but throughly know our selves when faith is in its exercise and strength and consider whither the secret seeds of remaining unbelief may bring us being fore-warned we should be fore-armed and should fortifie our faith the better and be provided against these sad assaults And if the malignant spirit be suffered to storm this fortress of the soul we should more manfully resist and we should not be overwelmed with horror as soon as any hideous and blasphemous temptations do assault us when Christ himself was not exempted from the most blasphemous temptation even the worshipping of the Devil instead of God though in him there was no sinfull disposition to entertain it Mat. 4.9.10 John 14.30 O watch and pray Christians in your most prosperous and comfortable state Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation For you little think what is yet within you and what advantage the deceiver hath and how much of your own to take his part and how low he may bring you both in point of Grace and Peace though he cannot damn you I am troubled that I must tell you of so sad a case that even the children of God may fall into lest by troubling you with the opening of your danger I should do any thing to bring you into it But because self-ignorance and not being before hand acquainted with it may do much more I have timely shewed you the danger with the remedy 5. Another instance of the darkness even of a Heart that in part is sanctified is in the successes of the temptations of Adversity When we want nothing we think we value not the world and we could bear the loss of all But when poverty or danger comes what trouble and unseemly whining is there as if it were by a worldling that is deprived of his Idol and all the portion that ever he must have And by the shamefull moan and stir that we make for what we want we shew more sinfull overvaluing of it and love to it then before we observed or would believe O how confidently and piously have I heard some inveigh against the Love of the world as if there had been no such thing in them who yet have been so basely dejected when they have been unexpectedly stript of their estates as if they had been quite undone How patiently do we think we could bear affliction till we feel it And how easily and piously can we exhort others unto patience when we have no sense of what they suffer But when our turn is come alas we seem to be other men Suffering is now another thing and Patience harder then we imagined And how inclinable are we to hearken to temptations to use sinfull means to come out of our sufferings Who would have thought that faithfull Abraham should have been so unbelieving as to equivocate in such a danger and expose the chastity of his wife to hazzard as we read in Gen. 12.12 13 19. And that he should fall into the same sin again on the same occasion Gen. 20. to Abimelech as before he had done with Pharaoh And that Isaac should after him fall into the same sin in the same place Gen. 26.7 The Life oâ— Faith doth set us so much above the fear of man and shew us the weakness and noâ—thingness of mortal worms and the faithâ—fulness and al-sufficiency of God that oâ— would think the frowns and threatnings 〈◊〉 a man should signifie nothing to us whâ—â— God stands by and giveth us such ampâ—â— promises and security for our confirmâ—â—tion and encouragement And yet whâ—â— base dejectedness and sinfull complianceâ— are many brought to through the fear 〈◊〉 man that before the hour of this tempâ—tation could talk as couragiously as any This was the case of Peter before mentioned and of many a one that hath woundeâ— conscience and wronged their profession by too cowardly a disposition which if it were fore-known we might do more for our confirmation and should betake our selves in time to Christ in the use of means for strength Few turn their backs on Christ or a good cause in time of tryal that are jealous of themselves before hand and afraid lest they should forsake him Few fall that are afraid of falling But the self-ignorant and self-confident are careless of their way and it is they that fall 6. Another instance that I may give you 〈◊〉 in the unexpected appearances of Pride 〈◊〉 those that yet are truly humble Huâ—ility speaks in their confessions aggravaâ—â—ng their sin and searching heart and life â—r matter of self-accusation They call â—hemselves Less then the least of all Gods â—â—ercies They are ready with the woman of Canaan Mat. 15.27 even to own the name â—f dogs and to confess themselves unworthy â—f the childrens crums and unworthy to â—read upon the common earth or to â—reath in the air or to live upon the patiâ—nce and provisions of God They will â—pend whole hours and dayes of humiliaâ—ion in confessing their sin and bewailâ—ng their weaknesses and want of grace â—nd lamenting their desert of misery They â—re oft cast down so much too low that they dare not own the title of Gods children nor any of his special grace but take themselves for meer unsanctified hardened sinners and all that can be said will not convince them that they have any saving interest in Christ nor hinder them from pouring out unjust accusations against themselves And all this is done by them in the uprightness of their hearts and not dissemblingly And yet would you think that with all this Humility there should be any pride and that the same person should lift up themselves and resist theâ— helps to further
take ye thought for rayment If God so clothe the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith So in Mat. 16.7 8. The seed that Christ likeneth his kingdom to Mat. 13.31 hath life while it is buried in the earth and is visible while a little seed but is not so observed as when it cometh to be as a tree Though God despise not the day of little things Zech. 4.10 and though he will not break the bruised reed or quench the smoaking flax Isa 42.3 yet our selves or others cannot discern and value these obscure beginnings as God doth But because we cannot easily find a little faith and a little Love when we are looking for it we take the non-appearance for a non-existence and call it none 3. Sanctification is oft unknown to those that have it because they do not try and judge themselves by sure infallible Marks the Essentials of the new man but by uncertain qualifications that are mutable and belong but to the beauty and activity of the soul The Essence of Holiness as denominated from the object is the Consent to the three Articles of the Covenant of Grace 1. That we give up our selves to God as our God and Reconciled Father in Jesus Christ 2. That we give up our selves to Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Saviour to recover us reconcile us and bring us unto God 3. That we give up our selves to the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier to guide and illuminate us and perfect the Image of God upon us and prepare us for Glory The Essence of Sanctification as denominated from its opposite objects is nothing but our Renunciation and Rejection of the flesh the World and the Devil of Pleasures Profits and Honours as they would be preferred before God and draw us to forsake him The Essence of Sanctification as denominated from our Faculties which are the subject of it is nothing but this preferring of God and Grace and Glory above the said Pleasures Profits and Honours 1. By the Estimation of our Vnderstandings 2. By the Resolved habituate Choice of our Wills 3. And in the bent and drift of our Endeavours in our Conversations In these three Acts as upon the first three objects and against the other three objects lyeth all that is Essential to Sanctification and that we should judge of our sincerity and title to salvation by as I before shewed But besides these there are many desireable qualities and gifts which we may seek for and be thankfull for but are not Essential to our Sanctification Such are 1. The knowledge of other Truths besides the Essentials of Faith and duty and the soundness of judgement and freedom from error in these lesser points 2. A strong memory to carry away the things that we read and hear 3. A right order of our Thoughts when we can keep them from Confusion roving and distraction 4. Freedom from too strong affections about the creatures and from disturbing passions 5. Lively Affections and feeling operations of the soul towards God in holy duty and tender meltingt of the heart for sin which are very desireable but depend so much on the temperature of the body and outward accidents and are but the vigor and â—ot the Life and being of the new creature that we must not judge of our sincerity by them Some Christians scarce know what any such lively feelings are and some have them very seldom and I think no one constantly and therefore if our Peace or Judgement of our selves be laid on these we shall be still wavering and unsetled and tost up and down as the waves of the sea Sometimes seeming to be almost in Heaven and presently near the gates of Hell When our state doth not change at all as these feelings and Affectionate motions of the soul do but we are still in our safe Relation to God while our first Essential graces do continue though our failings dulness weaknesses and wants must be matter of moderate filial humiliation to us 6. The same must be said of all common Gifts of utterance in conference or prayer and of quickness of understanding and such like 7. Lastly the same must be said also of all that rectitude of life and those degrees of obedience that are above meer sincerity in which one true Christian doth exceed another and in which we should all desire to abound but must not judge our selves to be unsanctified meerly because we are imperfect or to be unjustified sinners meerly because we are sinners In our judging of our selves by our Lives and Practices two extreams must be carefully avoided On the left hand that of the Prophane and of the Antinomians The former cannot distinguish between sinners and sinners sanctified and unsanctified Justified and unjustified sinners and when they have once conceited that they are in the favour of God whatever they do they say we are but sinners and so are the best The latter teach men that when once they are justified they are not for any sins to doubt again of their Justified state lest they should seem to make God changeable On the other hand must be avoided this extream of perplexed doubting Christians that make all their sins or too many of them to be matter of doubting which should be but matter of humiliation I know it is a very great difficulty that hath long perplexed the Doctors of the Church to define what sins are consistent and what inconsistent with a state of Holiness and Salvation which if any distinguish by the names of Mortal and Venial taking the words in no other sense I shall not quarrell with them At the present I shall say but this for the resolving of this great and weighty question 1. It is not the bare Act of sin in it self considered that must determine the case but the Act compared with the Life of Grace and with true Repentance Whoever hath the Love of God and Life of Grace is in a state of Salvation And therefore whatever sin consisteth with the fore-described Essentials of Sanctification viz. The Habituall devotion of the soul to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and the Habitual renunciation of the Flesh ehe World and Devil consisteth with a state of life And true Repentance proveth the pardon of all sin And therefore whatever sin consisteth with Habitual Repentance which is the Hatred of sin as sin and hath Actual Repentance when it is observed and there is time of deliberation consisteth with a state of Grace Now in Habitual Conversion or Repentance the Habitual Willingness to leave our sins must be more then our sinfull Habitual Willingness to keep it Now you may by this much discern as to particular acts whether they are consistent with Habitual hatred of sin For some sins are so much in the power of the will that he that hath an Habitual hatred of them cannot frequently commit them
should move you to seek to be acquainteâ— with it where it is 1. The knowledge of God is the most exceâ—â—lent knowledge and therefore the best sorâ— of creature knowledge is that which hath the most of God in it And undoubtedly theâ—â— is more of God in Holiness which is his Image then in common things Sins and 〈◊〉 have nothing of God in them They must be fathered on the Devil and your selves Anâ— therefore the knowledge of them is gooâ— but by Accident because the knowledgâ— even of evil hath a tendency to good Anâ— therefore it is commanded and made ouâ— duty for the good which it tendeth to It is the Divine nature and Image within you which hath the most of God and therefore â—o know this is the high and noble knowâ—edge To know Christ within us is our â—appiness on earth in order to the knowâ—edge of him in Glory face to face which is â—he happiness of heaven To know God â—hough darkly through a glass and but in â—art 1 Cor. 13.12 is far above all creaâ—ure knowledge The knowledge of him â—aiseth quickneth sanctifieth enlargeth â—nd advanceth all our faculties It is life â—ternal to know God in Christ John 17.3 Therefore where God appeareth most there â—hould our understandings be most diâ—igently exercised in study and observaâ—ion 2. It is a most delightfull felicitating knowledge to know that Christ is in you â—f it be delightfull to the Rich to see their wealth their houses and lands and goods â—nd money and if it be delightfull to the Honourable to see their attendance and hear their own commendations and applause how delightfull must it be to a true Believer to find Christ within him and to know his title to eternal life If the knowledge of full barns and much goods laid up for many years can make a sensual worlding say Soul take thy ease eat drink and be merry Luke 12.19 20. Me thinkâ— the knowledge of our interest in Christ anâ— heaven should make us say Thou hast 〈◊〉 gladness in my heart more then in the tiâ—â— that their corn and wine increased that 〈◊〉 more then corn and wine could put inâ—â— theirs Psal 4.7 Return unto thy Rest 〈◊〉 soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully wiâ—â— thee Psal 116.7 If we say with Daviâ— Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praysing thee Psal 84 â— much more may we say Blessed anâ— they in whom Christ dwelleth and the Holâ— Ghost hath made his Temple they should 〈◊〉 still praising thee Blessed is the 〈◊〉 whom thou choosest and causest to approâ—â—â— unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts 〈◊〉 shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple Psal 65.4 But this 〈◊〉 upon supposition that he be first Blessed by Christs approach to him and dwelling in hiâ— If you ask How it is that Christ dwelleâ—â— in us I answer 1. Objectively as he is apâ—prehended by our Faith and Love As thâ— things or persons that we think of and Lovâ— and delight in are said to dwell in our 〈◊〉 or hearts 2. By the Holy Ghost who 〈◊〉 a principle of new and heavenly Life 〈◊〉 given by Christ the Head unto his members and as the Agent of Christ doth illuminate sanctifie and guide the soul He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him and he in him and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3.24 That of Eph. 3.17 may be taken in either or both senses comprehensively That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 3. Did you know that Christ is in you by his spirit it might make every place and condition comfortable to you If you are alone it may rejoyce you to think what company dwelleth continually with you in your hearts If you are wearied with evil company without it may comfort you to think that you have better within when your have communion with the Saints it is your joy to think that you have nearer communion with the Lords of Saints You may well say with David Psal 139.18 when I awake I am still with thee Psal 16.8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at may right hand I shall not be moved 4. Did you know Christ within you it would much help you in believing what is written of him in the Gospel Though to the ungodly the mysteries of the Kingdom of God do seem incredible yet when you have experience of the power of it on your souls and find the Image of it on your hearts and the same Christ within you conforming you to what he commandeth in his word this will work such a sutableness to the Gospel in your hearts as will make the work of faith more easie Saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.14 16. We have seen do testifie that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world there 's their outward experience And we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him There is their Faith confirmed by their inward evidence Nâ— wonder if they that have God dwelling 〈◊〉 them by holy love do believe the love 〈◊〉 God hath to them This is the great advantage that the sanctified have in the work 〈◊〉 faith above those that much excell them 〈◊〉 disputing and are furnished with more Arguments for the Christian verity Christ hath his witness abiding in them The fruits of the spirit bear witness to the incorruptible 〈◊〉 the word of God that liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1.23 The impress on the 〈◊〉 heard witness to the seal that caused i◠〈◊〉 it is not a weak uneffectual Argument for the Truth of the Gospel that Believer 〈◊〉 to fetch from within when they plead the effects of it on their souls Labour to know the Truth of your sanctification that you may be confirmed by it in the Truth of the word that sanctifieth you Joh. 17.17 and may rejoice in him that hath chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2.13 5. If you can come to the knowledge of Christ within you it will be much the easier to you to trust upon him and fly to him in all your particular necessities and to make use of his Mediatorship with holy confidence When others flie from Christ with trembling and know not whether he will speak for them or help them or have any regard to them but look at him with strange and doubtful thoughts it will be otherwise with you that have assurance of his continual Love and presence Nearness breedeth familiarity and overcometh strangness Familiarity breedeth confidence and boldness when you find Christ so â—â—er you as to dwell within you and so particular and abundant in his Love to you as to have given you his spirit and all his Graces iâ— will breed
a sweet delightful boldness and make you 〈◊〉 to him as your help and refuge in all your necessities When you find the great promise fulfilled to your selves I will put my Law in their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more you will have boldness to enter into the Holyest by the blood of Jesus by the new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh And having an high Priest over the house of God you may draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith having your hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience or the conscience of evil as your bodies are washed in baptism with pure water Heb. 10.16 17 18 19 20 21 22. In Christ we may have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Eph. 3.12 This intimate acquaintance with our great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens and yet abideth and reigneth in our hearts will encourage us to hold fast our profession and to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4.14 16. When by unfeigned Love we know that we are of the truth and may assure our hearts before him and our Heart condemneth us not then we have confidence towards God and whatever we ask we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight 1 Joh. 3.18 19 20 21 22. 6. When once you know that you have Christ within you you may cheerfully proceed in the way of Life when doubting Christians that know not whether they are in the way or not are still looking behind them and spend their time in perplexed fears lest they are out of the way and go on with heaviness and trouble as uncertain whether they may not lose their labour and are still questioning their groundwork when the building should go on It is an unspeakable mercy when a believing Soul is freed from these distracting hindering doubts and may bodily and cheerfully hold on his way and be walking or working when other men are fearing and enquiring of the way and may with patience and comfort wait for the reward the â—rown of life when others are still questioning whether they were ever regenerate and whether their hopes have any ground We may be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord when we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 We may then gird up the lâ—ins of the mind and in sobriety hope unto the end for the grace that is to be brought us at the Revelation of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.13 7. When you are assured that you have Christ within you it may preserve you from those terrors of soul that affright theâ— that have no such assurance O he thâ—â— knoweth what it is to think of the intolerable wrath of God and says I fear I 〈◊〉 the object of this wrath and must bear thâ—â— intolerable lead everlastingly may knowâ— what a mercy it is to be assured of our escape He that knows what it is to think of Hell and say I know not but those endless flames may be my portion will know what a mercy it is to be assured of deliverance and to be able to say I know I am saved from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 And that we are not of them thâ—â— draw back to perdition but of them that believe to â—he saving of the soul Heb. 10.39 And that God hath not appointed us to wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ who dyed for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him We may comfort our selves together and edifie one another when we have this assurance 1 Thes 5.9 10 11. They that have felt the burden of a wounded spirit and know what it is to feel the terrors of the Lord and to see Hell fire as it were before their eyes and to be kept waking by the dreadful apprehensions of their danger to be pursued daily by an accusing conscience setting their sins in order before them and bringing the threatnings of God to their remembrance these persons will understand that to be assured of a Christ within us and consequently of a Christ that is preparing a place in glory for us is a mercy that the mind of man is now unable to value according to the ten thousandth part of its worth 8. Were you assured that Christ himself is in you it would sweeten all the mercies of your lives It would assure you that they are all the pledges of his love And love in all would be the Kernel and the Life of all your friends your health your wealth your deliverances would be steeped in the dearest Love of Christ and have a spiritual sweetnss in them when to the worldling they have but a carnal unwholsome luscious sweetness and to the doubting Christians they will be turned into troubles while they are questioning the Love and meaning of the giver and whether they are sent for good to them or to aggravate their condemnation and the Company of the Giver will advance your estimation of the gift Mean things with the company of our dearest friends are sweeter then abundance in their absence To have money in your purses and goods in your houses and books in your studies and friends in your near and sweet society are all advanced to the higher value when you know that you have also Christ in your hearts and that all these are but the attendants of your Lord and the fruits that drop from the tree of life and the tokens of his Love importing greater things to follow Whereas in the crowd of all those mercies the foul would be uncomfortable or worse if it mist the presence of its dearest friend and in the midst of all would live but as in a wilderness and go seeking after Christ with tears as Mary at his Sepulchre because they had taken away her Lord as she thought and she knew not where they had laid him Joh. 20.13 All mercies would be bitter to us if the presence of Christ do not put into them that special sweetness which is above the estimate of sense 9. This assurance would do much to preserve you from the temptation of sensual delights While you had within you the matter of more excellent contentment and when you find that these inferiour pleasures â—re enemies to those which are your happiâ—ess and life you would not be easily taken with the bait The poorest brutish pleasures â—re made much of by them that never were â—cquainted with any better But after the â—weetness of assurance of the Love of God â—ow little relish is there to be found in the pleasures that are so valued by sensual unbeâ—ievers Let them take them for me saith â—he believing soul may I
〈◊〉 with the heart and whether you have â—â—y special interest in him O what a damp 〈◊〉 casteth on the soul how it stifleth its â—â—pes and joys and turneth the Sacrament â—hich is appointed for their comfort into â—â—eir greater trouble It hath many a time â—â—ieved me to observe that no ordinance â—â—th cast many upright souls into greater â—erplexities and discouragements and â—â—stresses then the Lords Supper because â—â—ey come to it with double reverence and 〈◊〉 the doubtings of their title and questiâ—ning their preparedness and by their fears of eating and drinking unworthily their â—â—uls are utterly discomposed with perplexâ—â—g passions and turned from the pleasant â—â—â—rcise of faith and the delighful enterâ—ourse that they should have with God and â—â—ey are distempered and put out of relish 〈◊〉 all the sweetness of the Gospel And 〈◊〉 they are frightened from the Sacrament by such sad experiences and dare 〈◊〉 thither no more for fear of eating â—udgement to themselves And should â—oâ— Christians labour to remove the cause of such miserable distracting fears that so much wrong both Christ and them and 〈◊〉 recover their well-grounded peace and comfort 11. Your Love to God which is 〈◊〉 Heart and Life of the new creature 〈◊〉 so much depend upon your knowledge of 〈◊〉 love to you as should make you much 〈◊〉 desirous of such a knowledge Love is 〈◊〉 end of faith and faith the way to 〈◊〉 So much of Love as is in every duty 〈◊〉 much holiness is in it and no more Iâ— is the sum of the commandments 〈◊〉 the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13 â— Mat. 22.37 Mark 12.33 Though God 〈◊〉 us first as purposing our good 〈◊〉 we loved him 1 Joh. 4.9.10 And 〈◊〉 therefore Love him because he first 〈◊〉 us v. 19. Yet doth he Love us by compâ—â—â—cency and acceptance because we love 〈◊〉 Father and the son Joh. 16.27 〈◊〉 the Father himself loveth you because 〈…〉 loved me and have believed that I came 〈◊〉 from God And what will more effectâ—â—â— kindle in you the fervent Love of Chrâ—â—â— then to know that he loveth you and 〈◊〉 in you All this is exprest by 〈◊〉 himself in Joh 14.20.21 22 23. At 〈◊〉 day ye shall know that I am in my Faith and you in me and I in you He that 〈◊〉 my commandments and keepeth them he 〈◊〉 that loveth me and he that loveth me 〈◊〉 be loved of my Father and I will love 〈◊〉 and will manifest my self unto him If a man love me he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 1 Cor. 8.3 If any man love God the same is known of him with a knowledge of special Love and approbation This is no disparagement to faith whose nature and use is to work by Love Gal. 5.6 What a man Loveth such he is The Love is the man Our Love is judged by our Life as the cause by the effect but the Life is judged by the Love as the fruits by the tree the effects by the cause Mores auâ—em nostri non ex eo quod quisque novit sed ex eo quod diligit dijudicari solentinâ—â— faciâ—â—t bonos vel malos mores nisi boni vel mali amores saith Augustine that is Our manners are not used to be judged of according to that which every man knoweth but according to that which he loveth It is only good or evil love that maketh good or evil manners If Plato could say as Augustine citeth him lib. 8. de Civit. Dei Hoc est Philosophari scilicet Deum amare To be a Philosopher is to Love God Much more should we say Hoc est Christianum agere this is the doctrine and the work of a Christian even the Love of God Indeed it is the work of the Redeemer to recover the heart of man to God and to bring us to Love him by representing him to us as the most amiable suitable object of our Love And the perfection of Love is Heaven it self O jugum sancti amoris inq Bernard quam dulciter capis gloriose laqueas suaviter premis delectanter oneras fortiter stringis prudenter erudis that is The yoak of holy Love O how sweetly dost thou surprize how gloriously dost thou inthrall how plesantly dost thou press how delightfully dost thou load how strongly dost thou bind how prudently dost thou instruct O faelix amor ex quo oritur strenuitas morum puritas affectionum subtilitas intellectuum desideriorum sanctitas operum claritas virtutum faecunditas meritorum dignitas praemiorum sublimitas O happy Love from which ariseth the strength of manners the purity of affections the subtilty of intellects the sanctity of desires the excellency of works the fruitfulness of vertues the dignity of deserts the sublimity of the reward I appeal to your own consciences Christians would you not think it a foretaste of Heaven upon earth if you could but Love God as much as you desire would any kind of life that you can imagine be so desirable and delightful to you Would any thing be more acceptable unto God! And on the contrary a soul without the Love of God is worse then a Corpse without a soul If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be anathama maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 And do I need to tell you what a powerful incentive it is to Love to know that you are beloved It will make Christ much more dear to you to know how dear you are to him What is said of affective Love in us may partly be said of attractive Love in Christ Eccles 8.7 Many waters cannot quench Love neither can the floods drown it no riches can purchase what it can attract when you find that he hath you as a seal upon his arm and heart v. 6. and that you are dear to him as the apple of his eye what holy flames will this kindle in your breast If it be almost impossible with your equals upon earth not to Love them that Love you which Christ telleth you that even Publicans will do Matth. 5.46 how much more should the Love of Christ constrain us abundantly to Love him when being infinitely above us his Love descendeth that ours may ascend His Love puts forth the hand from heaven to fetch us up O Christians you little know how Satan wrongeth you by drawing you to deny or doubt of the special Love of God How can you Love him that you apprehend to be your enemie and to intend your ruine Doubtless not so easily as if you know him to be your friend In reason is there any likelier way to draw you to hate God then to draw you to believe that he hateth you Can your thoughts be pleasant of him or your speeches of him sweet or can you attend him or draw near him with delight while you think he hateth you and hath decreed your damnation you may fear him as he is a
for shame repine at the loss of temporal commodities that is secured of the eternal Joyes If assurance of the Love of God would not embolden you to patient suffering and to lay down life and all for Christ what do you think should ever do it But when you are afraid lest death will turn you into Hell What wonder if you timerously draw back When you know not whether ever you shall have any better no wonder if you are loth to part with the seeming happiness which you have Those doubts and fears enfeeble the soul and spoil you of that valour that becomes a souldier of Christ 5. All personal crosses in your estates your families your friends your health will be easily born if you are once assured of your salvation To a man that is passing into Heaven all these are almost inconsiderable things What is Lazarus the worse now for hâ—s sores or rags Or what is the Rich man the better for his sumptuonus attire and fare Luke 16. Whether you be poor or rich sick or sound whether you are used kindly or unkindly in the world are questions of so small importance that you are not much concerned in the answer of them But whether you have Christ within you or be reprobates whether you are the heirs of the promise or are under the curse are questions of everlasting consequence 6. Lastly you may comfortably receive the sentence of death when once you are assured of the Life of Grace and that you have escaped everlasting death Though nature will be still averse to a dissolution yet faith will make you cheerfully submit desiring to depart and be with Christ as the best condition for you Phil. 1.23 When you know that if the earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved you have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens you will then groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with your house which is from heaven not to be uncloathed for the union of soul and body is the constitution of the man which nature cannot but desire but to be cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life This God doth work you for who giveth you the earnest of the spirit therefore as men that know while you are at home in the body you are absent from the Lord and that walk by faith and not by sight you would be alwaies confident and willing rather to be absent from the body and present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Though it be troublesom to remove your dwelling yet you would not stick upon the trouble if you were sure to change a cottage for a Court nor would you refuse to cross the Seas to change a prison for a Kingdom The holy desires of Believers do prepare them for a safe death but it is the assurance of their future happiness or the believing expectation of it that must prepare them for a death that is safe and comfortable The Death of the Presumptuous may be quiet but not safe The Death of doubting troubled Believers may be safe but not quiet The Death of the ungodly that have awakened undeceived consciences is neither safe nor quiet But the Death of strong Belivers that have attained assurance is both And he that findeth Christ within him may know that when he dyeth he shall be with Christ His dwelling in us by faith by Love and by his Spirit is a pledge that we shall dwell with him Christ within us will certainly carry us unto Christ above us Let Socinians question the happiness of such departed souls or doubt whether they be in heaven before the resurrection I am sure that they are with Christ as the fore-cited places shew 2 Cor. 5.7 8. and Phil. 1.23 and many other We are following him that when he had conquered Death and went before us did send that message to his doubting troubled Disciples which is to me so full of sweetness that me thinks I can scarce too oft recite it John 20.17 Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and to your God O piercing melting words which methinks do write themselves upon my heart when ever I read them with attention and consideration Know once that you are his Brethren and that his Father is your Father and his God is your God and that he is ascended and glorified in your nature and then how can you be unwilling to be dismissed from the bondage of this flesh and be with Christ For in his Fathers house are many mansions and he is gone before to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us unto himself that where he is there we may be also John 14.2 3. And that this is his will for all his servants he hath declared in that comfortable promise which also I have found so full of sweetness that I value it above all the riches of the world John 12.26 If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be If any man serve me him will my Father honour The Spirit of Christ within you is the earnest of all this Be assured of your Faith and Hope and Love and you may be assured to possess the Good believed and Hoped for and Loved The incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth for ever of which you are new born 1 Peâ— 1.23 doth tend to the incorruptible crown 1 Pet. 5.4 even the Crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge will give to all that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 And so shall we ever be with the Lord as the Apostle comfortably speaks 1 Thes 4.17 and seasonably annexeth the use of such a cordial vers 18. wherefore comfort one another with these words Whether we are to die by the decay of nature or by the storm of any violent disease or by the hand of persecutros or any other instruments of Satan the difference is small They are but several ways of landing at the shore of happiness which we were making towards through all the duties and difficulties of our lives May we by any Death be sent to Christ let them domineâ—r a while that stay behind and are conquerors and happy in their dream we shall neither miss nor desire their felicity May I die assured of the Love of God how little regardable is it whether I be poor or rich till then or in what manner Death shall do its execution and how little cause have blessed souls to envie them that are left on earth in a quiet and prosperous passage to damnation And what an ease and pleasure is this to a mans mind through all his life to be able with well-grounded comfort to think of death What cares can vex him that hath secured hiâ— everlasting state What losses should afflict him that is sure he shall not lose his soul and is sure to gain eternal life
hath been the study of their lives The matters in question are such as they have had experience of in themselves and others They have judged as hardly of themselves and of their own case as now they do of yours when theirs was the same as yours is now Do they pronounce you miserable as being strangers to the spirit of Christ So they did by themselves when they saw their sin and therefore they are impartial They have had before them multitudes alas too many in your case And you will regard the judgement of a Physicion that hath had many hundreds in hand that had the same disease as you They are men that are not willing to deceive you They deny themselves in telling you of your danger They know that smoother words would please you better And they have natures that desire mens love and favour rather then displeasure and ill will They are more impartial then you are and have not your self-interest and passion to blind them They are not abused in their judgement by the temptations of evil company or of worldly fleshly things as you are For these temptations more hinder us from judging our selves then other men They are the messengers of Christ appointed to give to each their portion and should not their judgement be regarded in the business committed to their trust And it is not one man or two or a hundred only that are of this mind Open thy case to all the judicious faithful Ministers in the land or in the world and open it truly and they will all tell thee that if thou die without converting sanctifying grace thou art lost for ever and that all the world cannot save thee from the everlasting wrath of God Try as many of them as you will and see if all of them tell you not the same thing And is all this nothing to thee presumptuous sinner that in the judgement of all the most able faithful Minsters of Christ thy soul should be in a state of death Art thou wiser then all the best and wisest in the matters of their own profession If all the Physicions in the countrey should tell thee that thou hast a disease that will certainly be thy death unless thou take some ene effectual medicine in time I think thou wouldest not slâ—ght their judgement and say They are too censorious that thou knowest thy condition better then they I think it would affright thee to seek after the remedy And why should not the judgement of the faithful Ministers about the state of thy soul be so far regarded as to awaken thee to a more careful enquiry and stir up a preventing and remedying fear If the judgement of Christs officers be not regardable then there is no matter of terror in excommunication nor no matter of comfort in Ministâ—rial Absolution O the madness of a hardened sinner that when he sheweth by the fruits of an ungodly life that he is a stranger to sanctification and liveth in the sins which the Scripture threatneth damnation to and hath no evidence of true conversion to shew will yet be confident of pardon and salvation let God and all his Ministers say what they will against itâ—â— and will rather be offended with hâ—s spiritual Physicions for telling him of the danger of his state and rail at them as if they did him wrong then he will see his danger and prevent his misery Let such a one hear the word of God if he have eares to hear Deut. 29.19 20 21 Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall wormwood and it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven the Lord shall separate him to evil c. And on the other side Is there any soul among you that in doubts and trouble hath opened his case to the faithful Ministers of Christ and their judgement is that your state is safe Is this the judgement not only of the weakest but the wisest not only of strangers but of those that know you best not only of one or two but of all or most of the judicious Ministers that ever you opened you case to even of the most honest and impartial that would not flatter you nor deceive you Yea and perhaps when desertions or Melancholy or passion or ignorance do make you unmeet to judge of your selves And doth all this seem nothing to you or a small matter It is not nothing It is not small I confess it is no ground of certainty They are but men It is a humane testimony But yet it is a testimony that may weigh down many of your own surmises and take off much of your distressing fears and may give much ease to troubled souls while they are seeking after surer knowledge It is a ground of comfort not to be despised or made light of Till you can come to see your evidences your selves and to be acquainted with the indwelling spirit as your witness you may much quiet your minds and take much comfort in this judgement and witness of the servants of the Lord that have a spirit of discerning and have that grace which acquainteth them with the nature of grace in others and that have been long exercised in the discerning of mens states It is possible an Hypocrite especially one that wilfully giveth them a false relation of himself may deceive them but it is Probable that it is not one of many they are deceived in when they know or have a good description of the Person If in a Law suit all the ablest Lawyers tell you that your cause is good it is possible they may be deceived but it is not likely If in a Feaver all the ablest Physicions tell you the danger is past it is possible yet that they may be all deceived But yet I think you would take some comfort in such a testimony so should you here Though the Judgement of Ministers be not infallible it may be much better then your own though about your selves and it may be set against the jealousies and fears of a disquiet soul and against abundance of the molesting suggestions of the accuser I do not by all this draw you to lay too much on man I advance them not too high and make them not Lords of your faith but helpers of your Joy I draw you not to any deceitful course nor into any way of danger to your souls I bid you not fully and finally rest in the judgement of man I bid you not neglect any means to come to fuller knowledge and certainty of your own sincerity I bid you
we only read a description of it Who could have known what Life is or what Reason is by bare reading or hearing their descriptions if he knew them not in himself and others by another kind of demonstration Many thousands can honour the name of a Saint and the Scripture description of a Saint that hate the life of holiness when it appeareth to them in practice and cannot endure a Saint indeed It will most convincingly tell you what you want when you see what others have To see how naturally they breath after heaven will most convincingly shew you the dulness and earthliness of your minds To see how easily they can love an enemy and forgive a wrong will acquaint you most sensibly with the ulcers of your passionate revengeâ—ul minds Do but lay by your prejudice and partiality and see whether there be not in serious Christians another spirit then in the world and whether they live not upon the things above which your belief and love did never reach Look upon believers and consider why they pray and watch and study to please God and then bethink your selves whether you have not â—s much cause to do so as they and so you may perceive your negligence by their diligence your senselesness by their tenderness of heart and conscience your fleshliness by their spirituality and the rest of your sins by the luster of their graces Saith Gregory Qui plenissime intelligere appetit qualis sit tales debet aspicere qualis non est â—t in bonorum forma metiatur quantur ipse deformis est that is He that would fully understand what he is must look on such as are better then himself that in the comeliness of the good he may take the measure of his own deformity As Isidore saith Minus homo seipsum ex seipso considerat Men know not themseves by themselves alone Hence therefore the servants of God may see how exactly they should live and of what consequence it is that they be eminently holy when it is they that by their heavenly excellency must convince the world of their sinfulness and misery O Christians do you live such exemplary and convincing lives Is there indeed that excellency of Holiness appearing in you which may shew men to the glory of your Redeemer how the heirs of heaven do differ from the world Alas our common careless living doth wrong to multitudes as well as to ourselves and is a cruelty to the souls whose salvation we are bound by our examples to promote What then do those men that by their vicious scandalous conversation do harden the ungodly and cause them to think contemptuously and to speak scornfully of the holy way O woe to them if they repent not by whom such offence cometh Especially Ministers should see that their lives be a continual Lecture As Hierome saith Episcopi domus conversatio quasi in speculo posita Magistra est publicae disciplina quicquid fâ—cerit id sibi omnes faciendum putant That is The house and conversation of a Bishop is set as in a glass or to be beheld as the teacher of publike discipline All think they should do whatever he doth And therefore Chrysostome concludeth that a Priest that is bad doth acquire by his priest-hood not dignity but disgrace For saith he thou fittest in judgement on thy self If thou live well and preach well thou instructest the people If thou preach well and live ill thou condemnest thy self For by living well and preaching well thou instructest the people how to live But by preaching well and living ill thou instructest God as it were how to condemn thee And hence it is also that the servants of God should have a care of their fame as well as of their conversation because the reputation of religion dependeth much on the reputation of the religious and reputation doth much to the encouraging or discouraging of the ungodly that are strangers to the things themselves Saith Augustine Conscientia necessaria est tibi fama proximo tuo Qui famam ancupans negligit conscientiam hypocrita est Qui confiâ—ens conscientiae negligit famam crudelis est that is Conscience is necessary for thy self and thy good name is necessary for thy neighbour He that hunteth after fame and neglecteth conscience is an hypocrite And he that so trusteth to a good conscience as to neglect his good name is cruel to others When we mind our fame for the good of others and the service of God and not to please a proud vainglorios mind and when we do it without immoderate care seeking it only by righteous means and referring the issue to the will of God as being prepared for evil report as well as good this is but to improve our talent to our masters use II. I Come next to the Internal impediments to self acquaintance especially in the worser sort of men 1. The first that I shall acquaint you with is that Natural deep rooted sin of Pride which strongly inclineth men to think well of themselves and to desire that all others do so too So that where Pride is not discovered and subdued by grace men will scarce endure to be closely questioned by Ministers or other friends about their sin and the condition of their souls what question them whether they are ungodly unsanctified the servants of sin and Satan in a state of death and condemnation Their hearts will rise with indignation against him that will put such questions to them What! question them whether they have any saving grace whether they are regenerate pardoned and have any grounded hopes of heaven They love not the searching word of God they love not the distinguishing passages of Scripture they love not a faithful searching Minister because they would dishonour and trouble them with such doubts as these A Proud man judgeth not of himself as he is but as his tumified distempered fancie representeth him to himself to be To think himself something when he is nothing and so to be wilfully his own deceiver is his disease Gal. 6.3 And as Pride is one of the deepâ—st-rooted sins in man and of greatest strength and hardliest extirpated and overcome so true self-acquaintance must be accordingly difficult it being carryed on but by such degrees as we get ground and victory against our pride As Melancholy men that are wise in all other things may be far from the right use of reason in some one point where the fantasie is crazed and the distemper lyeth so a Proud man how wise soever in any other matters as to the right knowledge of himself is like one that is crackt brained and hath not indeed the use of reason Pride was his first Tutor and taught him what to believe of himself so that Christ who comes after with a humbling doctrine cannot be believed nor scarce with any patience heard O what a disease is to be cured before a Proud person will well know himself What labour do we lose in all