delivered from sin 6. Concomitant of godly sorrow Sixthly Yea what zeal Zeal is an extream heat of all the affections set against sin and working strongly towards God David's zeal did eat up his sin as well as himself And Paul was as zealous in propagating the Gospel as he had been furious in persecuting of it Many mens zeal is hot and burning when scorns and reproaches are cast upon them but the penitent man's zeal is most hot and burning when Religion is scorned Saints persecuted truth endangered and the great and dreadful name of God blasphemed c. The zeal of a true penitent will carry him on in a course of godliness and in a course of mortification in spight of all the diversions and oppositions that the world the flesh and the devil can make Holy zeal is a fire that will make its way through all things that stands between God and the soul The true penitent is unchangably resolved to be hid of his sins what ever it cost him who ever escapes who ever lives he is fully determined his lusts shall die for it only remember this though zeal should eat up our sins yet it must not eat up our wisdom no more than policy should eat up our zeal Seventhly Yea what revenge The true penitent revenges himself upon himself for his sins 7. Concomitant of godly sorrow not by whips and scourges as the Papists do 1 Cor. 9.27 A penitent sinner loaths the very scars of his sins after they are healed Nazian but by buffetting the flesh and bringing it into subjection by fasting and prayer and by crossing of his lusts and loading of them with chains and by diâ—â—ding the sword of mortification against them and by with-holding from them that fuel that might feed them and by the use of all other holy exercises whereby the old man the body of sin and death may be subdued to the obedience and discipline of the Spirit of God Holy revenge will shew it self by contradicting of corrupt self and by a severe chastising and punishing of all those instruments that have been servants to the flesh as you may see by the daughters of Israel in dedicating their looking-glasses by which they had offended Exod. 38.8 to the service of the Sanctuary Acts 19.19 and as you may see by the Ephesians burning of their costly and curious books before all men Luke 7. and by Mâ—ry Magdalens wiping of Christ's feet with her hair wherewith formerly her fond and foolish lovers were inticed and intangled And the same spirit you may see working in Zacheus Luke 19.8 9. and in the Jailor Acts 16.23 24 29 30 31 33 34. And so blessed Cranmer thrust his right hand first into the fire that being the hand by which he subscribed the Popish Articles revengfully crying out This unworthy right hand this unworthy right hand as long as he could speak The common language of holy revenge is this Lord pour out all thy wrath and all thy fierce anger and all thy fiery indignation upon this lust and that lust Lord bend thy bow and shoot all the arrows of thy displeasure into the very heart of my strong corruptions Lord when wilt thou rain hell out of heaven upon this proud heart this unbelieving heart this unclean heart this worldly heart this froward heart this treacherous heart of mine c. I have read of Hannibal that when he saw a pit full of the bloud of his enemies he cryed out with much content and delight O beautiful sight So when a penitent Christian sees his spiritual enemies his strong corruptions all in a goar bloud O! how delightfully and rejoycingly does he cry out O beautiful sight O blessed sight that ever I have seen Exod. 15. When the children of Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the Sea-shore then they sang a song of praise the Application is easie O Sirs let no man deceive his own immortal soul for 't is most certain that repentance to life hath all these lively companions attending of it Sound repentance and the companions of it are born together and will live and continue together till the penitent soul changes earth for heaven grace for glory And let thus much suffice for the first part of true repentance c. The second part of true repentance lyes in confession of sin which flows out of a contrite heart I mean not a bare formal empty confession such as is common amongst the worst of sinners as that we are all sinners and stand in need of a Saviour God help us God be merciful unto us c. but of such a confession of sin as ariseth from a true sight and full sense of sin and from the due apprehensions of a righteous Law that is transgressed and a holy God that is provoked c. When tongue and heart goes together when the tongue speaks out of the abundance of the heart when the tongue is the faithful interpreter of the heart freely ingenuously and humbly acknowledging iniquity transgression and sin and the penitent judging himself worthy of death of wrath of hell and unworthy of the least mercy and favour from God c. Now such a confession as this is you shall find in repenting sinners and if you look again you shall find those persons so confessing to be under the capacity of the promise of the forgiveness of their sins c. First You shall find repenting sinners confessing their sins Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens Repenting sinners confess their sins c. Ver. 10. And now O our God what shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy commandements c. Psal 51.3 I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Ver. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Dan. 9.4 5. I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said O Lord the great and dreadful God c. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments c. Ver. 8. O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day Luke 15.18 I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Ver. 19. And am no more worthy to be called thy son c. 1 Cor. 15.9 For I am the least of all the Apostles that am not meet to be called an Apostle because I persecuted the Church of God 1 Tim. 1.13 Who was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious c. Isa 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all I might easily
and before our evidences for heaven are cleared it will kill us everlastingly it will kill us eternally Time travelleth with God's decrees and in their season brings them forth but little doth any man know what is in the womb of to morrow till God hath signified his will by the event Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth That man that knows what himself intends to bring forth does not know what the day will bring forth the next day is not so neer the former in time as it may be remote from it in the effects of it Seneca could say Seneca Epist 102. Nihil est miserius dubitatione venientium quo evadunt There is nothing more miserable than the doubtfulness of things to come to what they will come Providence in this life is the Map of changes Ezek. 1.16 the picture of mutability Who can sum up the strange circumferences and rare circuits and labyrinths of providence Providence is as a wheel in the midst of a wheel whose motion and work and end in working is not discerned by every common eye Three dreadful judgments God hath lately visited us with viz. Sword Pestilence and Fire but who repents who smites upon his thigh Isa 1.16 17. Psal 106.23 who finds out the plague of his own heart who sayes what have I done who ceases from doing evil who learns to do well who turns to the most High who layes hold on everlasting strength who makes peace with God who throws himself into the gap c. Are not multitudes grown much worse after judgments than they were before Don't they bid higher defiance to heaven than ever and therefore who can tell what further controversie God may have with such a people especially considering that terrible Scripture Levit. 26.14 to the 34. vers with scores of others that sound that way Were our forefathers alive how sadly would they blush to see such a horrid degenerate posterity as is to be found in the midst of us How is our forefathers hospitality converted into riot and luxury their frugality into pride and prodigality their simplicity into subtilty their sincerity into hypocrisie their charity into cruelty their chastity into chambering and wantonness their sobriety into drunkenness their plain-dealing into dissembling and their works of compassion into works of oppression c. And may we not fear that even for these things God may once more visit us The Nations are angry and we are low in their eyes our enemies are not asleep abroad and are not we too secure at home and what further conclusions may be in the world who can divine I point at these things only to provoke all those into whose hands this Treatise may fall to make sure work for another world to make sure their evidences for heaven and to keep their evidences for life and glory alwayes sparkling and shining and then I am sure the worst of calamities the sorest of judgments shall but translate them from earth to heaven from a wilderness to a paradise from misery to glory from mixt and mutable enjoyments to the pure everlasting enjoyments of God Christ the Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12 22 23 24. But Sixthly and lastly In this Treatise as in a Glass all sorts of profane persons and all sorts of self-flatterers and all sorts of hypocrites may see 1. That their present state and condition is not so safe nor yet so happy as they judge it to be Again in this Treatise as in a Glass all sorts of profane persons and all sorts of self-flatterers and all sorts of hypocrites may see 2. The happy and blessed state of the people of God against whom their spirits rise and swell c. Again in this Treatise as in a Glass all sorts of profane persons and all sorts of self-flatterers and all sorts of Hypocrites may see 3. What those things are that they need and that they ought to beg of God Again in this Treatise as in a Glass all sorts of profane persons and all sorts of self-flatterers and all sorts of hypocrites may see 4. What those things are without which they can neither be happy here nor hereafter Now were there no other Reasons for my sending forth this Treatise into the world this alone might justifie me But Honoured and Beloved before I close up this Epistle give me leave to say That there are two sorts of men that my self and all the world are bound 1. Highly to prize 2. Cordially to love And 3. Greatly to honour above all other men in the world and they are these First men of publick spirits Secondly men of charitable spirits men of merciful spirits men of tender and compassionate spirits First Men of publick spirits my self and all others are bound 1. Highly to prize 2. Cordially to love And 3. Greatly to honour above all other men in the world and that First Because a publick spirited man is a common good a common blessing all in the Family all in the Court all in the City all in the Countrey fare the better for that Christians sake that is of a publick spirit All in Laban's family did fare the better for Jacob's sake Gen. 30.27 19.21 22 23 24. 41. c. and all in the City of Zoar did fare the better for Lot's sake and all Pharoah's Court and the whole Countrey of Egypt did fare the better for Joseph's sake Sodom was safe whilst Lot was in it Eliah was a man of a publick spirit 2 King 2.12 and he was the chariots and horsemen of Israel Moses was a man of a publick spirit and he often diverted ruining judgments from falling upon Israel Psal 106.23 Num. 16.46.49 Phineas was a man of a publick spirit and he takes up his Censer and stands between the living and the dead Though I do not I dare not say that every publick spirit is a gracious spirit yet this I must say that every gracious spirit is a publick spirit and the Plague was stayed Men of publick spirits are publick mercies publick blessings a man of a publick spirit is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick diffusive blessing in the place where he lives men of publick spirits are the true Atlasses both of Church and State they are the Pillars on whom all do rest the Props on whom all do lean do but overturn these Pillars and all will fall about your ears as the house did about the Philistines when Sampson shook it wrack but these and Kingdoms and Commonwealths shall be quickly wrackt themselves When Metellus heard of the death of Scipio Africanus a man of a publick spirit he ran out into the Market-place and cryed out O Citizens come forth and consult what is to be done for the walls of your City are fallen down But Secondly Because publick spirited Christians are most like to Christ and to the choicest and
to glory of For necessity is laid upon me yea wo is unto me if I Preach not the Gospel Now 't is infinitely better to fall under the displeasure of men than to fall under the woes of God The Jews under a pretence of their Authority command the Apostles not to Preach Jesus to the people but the commands of Christ carry it with the Apostles against all their contrary commands The Apostles who were like to Bottles of new Wine that must either vent or burst knew very well that 't was not obedience to mens commands that could excuse their disobedience to Gods commands So in that third of Daniel the commands of the great God carried it with the three Children against all the dreadful threatnings proud boastingâ— and Idolatrous commands of King Nebuchadnezzar Certainly the commands of sin are of all commands the vilest commands they are all illegal sin hath no ground no reason to command our souls Sin is but a Usurper a Traitor and therefore hâ—s no Authority over us All sins commands are purely sinful they are plain and notorious rebellions against the Laws of Christ the life of Christ and against the Crown Honour and Dignity of Jesus All sins â—ommands are grievous burthensome and painful commands of all yoaks none so heavy as that which sin layes upon the sinner hence sin is compared to a talent of Lead Zach. 5.7 to shew the weightiness and burthensomness of it and hence 't is that sinners are said to weary themselves in committing iniquity Jer. 9.5 And hence 't is that wicked men are laid to travel with iniquity Psal 7.14 to shew what anxious pain and trouble they have in bringing about their wickedness Behold he travelleth with iniquity or as the Hebrew has it he shall travel or he continually travelleth he takes as great pains to go to Hell as a travelling woman doth to be delivered Wicked men are as laborious and as restless and unquiet in the practice of wickedness Prov. 4.14 15 16. as a woman in labour is when the pangs of Travel are upon her Sugred poisons go down pleasantly O but when they are down they gall and gnaw and gripe the very heart-strings asunder 't is so with sin Lastly the commands of sin are extreamly unreasonable what an unreasonable thing is it to command a man to run into the fire or to drown himself in the water or to strangle himself c. Now all the commands of sin tend directly and intentionally to the burning drowning strangling and destroying of the sinner All sins commands tend to the dishonour of God the breach of his righteous Laws and the damnation of the precious and immortal Soul Now where the commands of God do commonly carry it against all the commands of sin there the Soul is certainly sincere with Goâ— That we owe perfect obedience to Gods will to Gods commands is evident enough several wayes and in particular from the universal obedience of all Creatures I mean those which are without reason sense or life for they inviolably observe his commands Isa 48.13 Mine hand hath laid the Foundations of the earth and my right hand hath spann'd the Heavens when I call to them they stand up together as prepared to execute his commands The insensible parts of the world are so compliant with his will as to contradict their proper natures to serve his glory Fire descends from Heaven at his command Gen. 19.24 2 Kings 1.10 11 12. And the fluid Sea stands up at his command Exod. 14.22 Now what a sad thing is it that Christians should at any time prove disloyal and rebellious when all inferiour Creatures do with one consent serve and glorify the great God But c. Tenthly Constant desires and earnest and constant endeavours to avoid and shun all known appearances of sin Where do you read in all the Scriptures of any one Hypocrite that ever made Conscienâ—e of shunning and avoiding the appearances of sin evâ—dences the truth and reality of Grace in the Soul Certainly that man is a true Nathaniel that makes it his business his work to abstain from all appearances of evil An Hypocrite loves the appearance of good more than goodness it self and a sincere Christian hates the very appearance of evil as well as the evil it self He who hates a person loaths his very picture A wicked man may abstain from broad-fac'd evils but commonly he is very bold and ventrous upon appearing evils O what vain Apologies do many make in these dayes for long hair gaudy Apparel Antick Fashions Spotted Faces Naked Breasts Wanton Behaviours Effeminate Dalliances and a thousand other suspicious practices and vanities But now a man that is truly gracious he makes Conscience not only of shunning real gross known evils but also of shunning the very likeness of evil His heart does not only rise against real sins but he is very shy of that which looks like sin When Josephs Mistris took hold of him and said Lie with me he left his garment in her hand and fled and got him out Gen. 39.12 Joseph would not be found in the company of his impudent brazen-fac'd Mistris that could so barely and basely so boldly and frequently sollicite him to defile his Masters bed and to damn two Souls at once her own and his that so he might avoid the very appearance of evil the very suspition of sin By wanton touches and dalliance mental Adultery is often committed and therefore Joseph flies as being unwilling to touch her or to be touched by her 1 Cor. 9.11 12 13 14 15. And so Paul refused the using his liberty in taking a lawful maintenance for his labours lest a sinister interpretation of covetousness and mercenary affection should have been put upon it by his Adversaries And so the same Apostle would needs have Titus and two others chosen by the Church to joyn with him in carrying the benevolence of the Church of Macedonia to Jerusalem because he was very careful to avoid all suspition of dealing ill in that business 2 Cor. 8.20 21. Avoiding this that no man should blame us in this abundance that is Ministred by us Providing for honest things not only before the Lord but also before men So Daniel would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat that is say some Dan. 1. â— he would not defile his Conscience by eating such unclean meats as were forbidden under the Law for the Babilonians did eat of divers meats as of Swine Hares c. and of sundry sorts of Fishes and Fowls which were forbidden by God unto the children of Israel Levit. 11. Deut. 14 nor with the wine which he drank but in the Hebrew the plural number is used of his drinks whence some gather that the King drank divers sorts of Wines which were also set before Daniel and his companions therefore he requested of the Prince of the Eunuchs that he might not defile himself Daniels living at a full Table
couragious and be valiant or sons of valour as the Hebrew runs And so a Christian must lay the command of God before him as his highest encouragement to do what God requires of him c. Fifthly and lastly Our obedience must be bottomed and grounded upon the commands of God to difference and distinguish our selves from all hypocrites formalists superstitious and prophane persons whose obedience is sometimes bottomed upon the Traditions of men and sometimes upon the commandments of men 'T was the sin of the Ten Tribes that they complyed with the command of Jeroboam and his Princes Isa 29.13 14. Mat. 15.1 to 10. Mark 7.8 to 10. Hos 5.11 12. to worship the Calves at Dan and Bethel and for this the wrath of the Lord fell heavy upon them Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandment And sometimes their obedience is bottomed upon the examples of men sometimes their obedience is bottomed upon the examples of their forefathers and ancestors Jer. 44 17 18 c. Joh. 7.48 49. Jer. 10.3 The customs of the people are vain c. and sometimes upon the examples of great men This was that which the Pharisees objected against believing on Christ Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him but this people who knoweth not the Law are cursed And sometimes they bottom their obedience upon the example of the multitude This was Demetrius his argument against Paul Acts 19.26 27. on the behalf of Diana that all Asia and the world did worship her and therefore the doctrine of Paul that they be no Gods which are made with hands was falfe and not to be suffered This hath alwayes been and is still the common plea of many We do but as the most do and sure a great many eyes can see more than one or two And hereupon they exclaim against others for their singularity because they won't do as the rest of their neighbours do But Thirdly That obedience that springs from faith is a growing obedience 't is an abounding obedience such a man's desires will study and labour is to get up to the highest pitch of obedience to get up to the highest round in Jacob's ladder Rev. 2.19 I know thy work and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more than the first The Angel of the Church of Thyatira 'T is not every believers happiness always to make a progress in grace Solomon and Asa and others run retrograde Saints have their winter seasons they have their decaying times and withering times as well as their thriving times their flourishing times Rev. 2.4 is commended First for his love 2. For his charity 3. For his faith And 4. For his patience And in the general course of his life he daily became more excellent for his latter works were more than the first that is they were more manifest proofs of his constancy and more worthy of praise than the first This faithful Pastor is commended for his holy progress in grace and holiness So Paul Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Ver. 13. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before Ver. 14. I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth emphatically import a pressing with an eager pursuit after the mark It is the same word that signifies to persecute because the earnestness of his spirit in pressing toward the mark now is the same that it was in the persecution of those that pressed toward the mark before Look as good runners when they come near unto the mark stretch out their heads and hands and whole bodies to take hold of them that run with them or of the mark that is before them so he in his whole race so laboured unto that which was before as if he were still stretching out his arms to take hold of it If such a man might have his choice he would be the most humble the most holy the most heavenly the most mortified the most patient the most contented the most thankful the most fruitful the most active the most zealous and the most self-denying Christian in the world 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Mat. 5. if he might have his choice he would be holy as God is holy and perfect as his heavenly father is perfect he would do the will of God on earth as those Princes of glory the Angels do it now in heaven viz. freely readily cheerfully delightfully universally reverentially and unweariedly c. if he might have his choice Eccl. 9.10 he would exercise every grace and perform every duty with all his might he sees so much excellency and beauty in God and Christ that he can't be at rest till he be swallowed up in the enjoyment of them he sees so much excellency in grace that nothing but perfection of grace will satisfie him he makes perfection not only his utmost end but he also labours after perfection with his utmost strength and endeavours When God is made the one of a mans desires the one of a mans affections the one of a mans life and comfort then will he be the one of a mans endeavours too That obedience that springs from faith when 't is not winter-time with a Christian is a fruitful obedience 't is an abounding obedience 't is a progressive obedience Look as the mercy and favour of God to a believer is not stinted nor limited so the obedience of a believer to God is not stinted or limited but now the obedience of hypocrites is alwayes stinted and limited this command they will obey but not that this duty they will do but not that this work they will attend but not that c. Fourthly That obedience that springs from faith is the obedience of a son not of a slave 't is a free voluntary evangelical obedience and not a legal servil and forced obedience Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness in the Hebrew 't is willingness in the plural number to shew their exceeding great willingnesses Psal 27.8 When thou saidest seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek By face is meant 1. God himself Exod. 20.3 Before my face that is before me 2. His favour Jer. 18.17 I will shew them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity Now no sooner had God given forth a word of command for the Psalmist to seek himself and to seek his favour but presently his heart did eccho to that command Thy face Lord will I seek So Jer.
for all the duties that they have hindered Judg. 16.28 Sampson pleads hard with God that he might be avenged on the Philistines for his two eyes and so doth the gracious soul plead hard with God that he may be avenged on his bosom lusts on his complexion sins which have put out his two eyes which have so blinded him that he has not for a long time been able to see God or Christ or the things that belong to his external internal or eternal peace The next of kin in the Law was alwayes the avenger of bloud and to him it appertained to hunt after the murderer to bring upon his head the innocent bloud that he had shed if therefore we will shew our selves brethren or sisters of Christ or any thing of kin unto him we must even be the avengers of his bloud upon bosom sins upon complexion sins for for them as well as others was his bloud shed O Sirs what bosom sin is there so sweet or profitable that is worth a burning in hell for or worth a shutting out of heaven for surely none This a gracious soul seriously weighs and accordingly he sets himself against the Toad in his bosom against his darling sins against his complexion sins But now unsound hearts are very favourable to bosom sins to complexion sins they say of them as Lot of Zoar Gen. 19.20 Is it not a little one and my soul shall live And as David once said concerning Absalom 2 Sam. 18.5 Deal gently for my sake with the young man even with Absalom beware that none touch the young man Absalom Ver. 12. And the King said is the young man Absalom safe Ver. 29. An unsound heart is as fond of his bosom sins 2 King 5.18 of his complexion sins as Jacob was of his Benjamin or as Jeha was of his calves or as Naaman was of his Idol Rimmon or as Judas was of bearing the bag or as Herod was of his Herodias Acts 19. or as Demetrius was of his Diana or as the Pharisees were of devouring widows houses Mat. 23. and of having the uppermost seats in the Synagogues and of being saluted in the market places with those glorious titles Rabbi Rabbi The besotted sinner is most engaged to his bosom sins his complexion sins and therefore 't is as bitter a thing as death for him to part with them Mich. 6.6 7. he had rather part with burnt-offerings and calves of a year old he had rather part with thousands of Rams and with ten thousand Rivers of oyl yea he had rather part with his first-born than with his bosom sin Job 20.12 13. he is ready to give the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul Let God frown or smile stroke or strike lift up or cast down promise or threaten yet he will hide and hold fast his bosom sin let God set life and death heaven and hell glory and misery before him yet will he not part with his bosom sins let God wound his conscience blow upon his estate leave a blot upon his name crack his credit afflict his body Jer. 20.3 4. write death upon his relations and be a Magor-missabib a terror to his soul yet will he not let go his darling sins An unsound heart will rather let God go and Christ go and heaven go and all go than he will let his darling lusts go But now a sound Christian a throuhgout Christian he sets himself most against the Dalilah in his bosom against the Benjamin the son the sin of his right hand A sincere Christian looks upon bosom sins upon complexion sins as the most God-provoking sins there are no sins so provoking to Gods jealousies and justice as bosom sins he looks upon bosom sins complexion sins a the most dangerous sins he looks upon bosom sins complexion sins as the worst thing in all the world he looks upon bosom sins complexion sins as more ugly and horrid than the devil himself or than hell it self he looks upon bosom sins as the great make-bates between God and his soul and between his conscience and his comfort Isa 59.1 2. Lamen 3.8 44. he looks upon bosom sins as those enemies that have provoked God often to turn a deaf ear to all his prayers he looks upon his bosom sins as so many Judas's that have often betrayed him into the hands of the devil he looks upon his bosom sins as the waters of Marah that has imbittered all his mercies he looks upon his bosom sins as the only things that have often clouded the face of God he looks upon his bosom sins as dead flies in the box of precious ointment that spoyls all and accordingly with all his might he sets himself against them 1. He fights most against these 2. He weeps most over these 3. He watches and aâ—ms most against these 4. He prayes most against these 5. He resolves most against these And 6. He layes the axe of repentance most to these c. But pray Sir before you close up this Chapter lay down some sure and infallible evidences of the goodness graciousness and happiness of their estates and conditions who are but weak in grace who are but babes of grace that so they may have their portion satisfaction support and consolation as well as others Ans I shall endeavour to do it and therefore thus Sixthly True desires of grace is grace true desires after Christ and grace and holiness is grace he who does sincerely desire to believe he does really believe and he that does sincerely desire to repent he does really repent and he that does sincerely desire to obey the Lord 1 Pet. 2.3 4. 2 Chron. 30.18 19 Mat. 7.8 Psal 42.1 2. Psal 63.1 c. and to fear the Lord and to serve the Lord he does really obey the Lord and fear the Lord and serve the Lord. It is the first step to grace for a man to see his heart void of grace and it is the first degree of grace for a man to desire grace Mark all true desires of grace have the very nature and truth of grace in them As there is true fire in a spark as well as in a flame and true water in a drop as well as in a stream and true light in a beam as well as in the Sun and true gold in the very filings of gold as well as in the whole wedge of gold the least of any thing partakes of the nature of the whole Isa 55.1 2. 65. 1. John 7.37 True desires of grace argues a state of grace and salvation Psal 38.9 Lord thou knowest all my desire my groanings is not hid from thee Mat. 5.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled or as the Greek runs after the participle of the present tense they that are hungering and thirsting intimating that where ever this is the present disposition of mens souls they are blessed
in Psal 29.1 2. There are three gives in those two verses Give unto the Lord give unto the Lord give unto the Lord the glory that is due unto his name Glory iâ— God's right and he stands upon his right and this the sincere Christian knows and therefore he gives him his right he gives him the honour and the glory that is due unto his name But pray do not mistake me I do not say that such as are really sincere do actually eye the glory of Christ in all their actions Oh no this is a happiness desirable on earth but shall never be attained till we come to heaven By and base ends and aims will be still ready to creep into the best hearts but all sincere hearts sigh and groan under them they complain to God of them and they cry out for justice justice upon them and it is the earnest desires and daily endeavours of their souls to be rid of them and therefore they shall not be imputed to them nor keep good things from them But now take a sincere Châ—istian in his ordinary usual and habitual course and you shall find that his aims and ends in all his actions and undertakings are to glorifie God to exalt God and to lift up God in the world If the Hypocrite did in good earnest aim at the glory of God in what he does then the glory of God would swallow up all his by aims and carnâ—l ends as Aarons rod swallowed up the Magicians rods Look as the Sun puts out the light of the fire Exod. 7.10 11 12. so the glory of God where it is aimed at will put out and consume all by and base ends This is most certain that which is a man's great end that will work out all other ends he that sets up the glory of God as his chief end will find that his chief end will by degrees eat out all low and base ends Look Gen. 41.4 as Pharaoh's lean kinâ— ate up the fat so the glory of God will eat up all those fat and worldly ends that crowd in upon the soul in religious work Where the glory of God is kept up as a man's greatest end there all by and base ends will be kept at an under By what has been said 't is most evident that an Hypocrite in all his transactions looks at himself and designs the advance and advantage of himself An Hypocrite is as well able to make a world and to unmake himself as he is able to make the glory of God the exaltation of God his highest end his utmost aim in what he does But Fifthly No Hypocrite can live wholly and only upon the righteousness of Christ the satisfaction of Christ the merits of Christ for justification and salvation The hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees prayed and fasted Mat. 6. Luke 18.11 12. ponder upon that Rev. 3.16 17 18. and kept the Sabbath and gave almes c. and in this legal righteousness they rested and trusted Upon the performance of these and such like duties they laid the weight of their souls and the stress of their salvation and so perished for ever An Hypocrite rests upon what he doth and never looks so high as the righteousness of Christ he looks upon his duties as so much good moneys laid out for heaven he weaves a web of righteousness to cloath himself withal he never looks out for a more glorious righteousness to be justified by than his own and so puts a slight upon the righteousness of Christ Rom. 10.3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God The first step to salvation is to renounce our own righteousness the next step is to embrace the righteousness of Christ which is freely offered to sinners iâ— the Gospel but these things the Hypocrite minds not regards not The righteousness of an Hypocrite is not only imperfect but impure a rag a filthy rag and therefore he that rests upon such a righteousness Isa 64.6 must needs miscarry to all eternity O Sirs who will say that that man needs a Saviour that can flie to heaven upon the wings of his own duties and services If a man's duties can pacifie an infinite wrath and satisfie an infinite justice then farewel Christ and welcom duties He that will rest upon his own righteousness for life and justification must needs sit down on this side salvation he that rests upon his duties and that rests upon a gift of knowledge a gift of utterance a gift of memory or a gift of prayer though he may come near to heaven and bid fair for heaven yet he will never be able to get into heaven Now how sad is it for a man to lose himself and his soul in a wilderness of duties when he is upon the borders yea the very brink of the holy Land he that rests upon any thing in him or done by him as a means to procure the favour of God or the salvation of his soul will put such a cheat upon himself as will undo him for ever Non-submission to the righteousness of Christ keeps Christ and the hypocrite asunder Christ will never love nor like to put the fine clean Rev. â—9 7 8. white linnen of his own righteousness upon the old garment the old rags of an hypocrites duties Mar. 9.16 17. neither will Christ ever delight to put his new wine into such old bottles An hypocrites confidence in his own righteousness Prov. 21.27 turns his righteousness into filthiness But now a sincere Christian he renounces his own righteousness he renounces all confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 he looks upon his own righteousness as dung yea as dogs meat as some interpret the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicuntur quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Bezam vide a LapÃde Phil. 3.8 he will say no more to his duties to the works of his hands ye are my Gods Hos 14.3 When they look upon the holiness of Gods nature the righteousness of his government the severity of his Law the terror of his wrath they see an absolute and indispensable necessity of a more glorious righteousness than their own to appear before God in A sincere Christian sets the highest price and value upon the righteousness of Christ Psal 71.16 I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only Mark the Emphasis doubled of thine and thine only a sincere Christian is convinced of the nature worth and excellency of the righteousness of Christ and therefore he cryes out I will make mention of thy righteousness of thine only The costly cloak of Alcisthenes which Dionisius sold to the Carthaginians for an hundred Talents was indeed a mean and beggarly rag in a sincere Christian's eye to that embroidered mantle of righteousness that Christ puts upon his A sincere Christian rejoyces in the righteousness
mercies and in my own outward mercies O! how much more then ought I to rejoyce in the saving and distinguishing graces of the Spirit especially when I consider that the least dram of grace is more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds Hab. 3.18 Gal. 6.14 Phil. 3.3 as every awakened conscience will tell you when they come to dye Mark firstly mostly and chiefly a Christian is to rejoyce in God and Christ but secondarily and subordinately he may rejoyce in those graces and in those gracious evidences that God has given into his soul Firstly mostly and chiefly a Wife is to rejoyce in the person of her Husband but secondarily subordinately she may rejoyce in the bracelets in the ear-rings in the jewels in the gold chains that are given her by her Husband But The tenth Proposition is this viz. That that assurance that the people of God may rise to by the sight of their graces and upon the sight of their gracious evidences in the light of the spirit is not so clear and bright and high and full a that it utterly excludes all fears doubtings conflicts 1 Cor. 13.12 Phil. 3.12 13 14. or spiritual agonies Our knowledge of God of Christ of our selves and of the blessed Scripture which is the Rule of tryal is imperfect in this life And how then can our assurance be perfect David a man eminent in grace and holiness had his up-hills and his down-hills his Summer days and his Winter nights Psal 73.25 Psal 42.5 11. Now you shall have him upon the Mountains singing and saying The Lord is my portion and presently you shall have him in the Valleys sighing and saying Whâ— art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Job 3. Psal 77. Psal 88. The same is evident in Job Heman and Asaph Such an assurance as shall exclude all fears doubts conflicts agonies iâ— very desirable on earth but shall never be obtained till we come to heaven The grievous assaults of Satan the power of unbelief and the prevalency of other corruptions in a Christians heart may be such as may shake I don't say overturn that assurance which a Christian may gather from the sight and evidence of his graces in the light of the spirit Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth as well against the spirit as it is a spirit of consolation as it lusteth against the spirit as it is a spirit of sanctification and therefore such an assurance as shall exclude all sorts and degrees of fears and doubts Doubting is not a vertue as the Papists would make us believe but 't is a fruit of the flesh and a thing most contrary and opposite to the nature of faith Jam. 1.5 Mat. 21.21 13.31 And therefore Christians should pray hard to be rid of their doubts is not attainable in this life whilst we are in this old world we shall have water with our wine gall with our honey and some clouds with our brightest Sun-shiny dayes c. Most Christians think that as long as they have any doubtings they have no assurance but they consider not that there are many degrees of infalible certainty below a perfect or an undoubting certainty Doubtless some darkness more or less will overspread the face of every Christians soul and unbelief in one degree or another will be making head against their faith and hypocrisie in one degree or another will be making head against sincerity and pride in one degree or another will be making head against humility and passion in one degree or another will be making head against meekness and earthly-mindedness in one degree or another will be making head against heavenly-mindedness c. yet as long as a Christian has the sight of his graces or his gracious evidences he may and ought to walk in much peace comfort and joy Such Christians as are resolved to lye down in sorrow till they have attained to a perfect assurance must resolve to lye down in sorrow till they come to lay down their heads in the dust Our graces are imperfect and therefore that assurance that arises from the sight and evidence of them must needs be imperfect 1 Thes 3.10 perfect signs of grace can never spring from imperfect grace Now if this were seriously apprehended studied and minded by many weak Christians they would not at every turn call their spiritual estates into question as they do because they find some seeds and stirrings of pride hypocrisie vain-glory and other sinful humours and passions working in them But The eleventh Proposition is this viz. When all your signs and evidences of the happiness and blessedness of your condition fails you and are so clouded obscured darkned and blotted that you can't read them that you can't take any comfort from them then it highly concerns you to keep up high and precious and honourable thoughts of God of Christ of his word and of his wayes in your souls Psal 97.2 Cant. 5.6 7. When Christ was withdrawn from his Spouse and when the watchmen that went about the City had smote her and wounded her and when the keepers of the walls had took away her vail from her yet then she keeps up in heart very high precious and honourable thoughts of Christ Ver. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Ver. 16. His mouth is most sweet and he is altogether lovely or his mouth is sweetnesses and he is altogether desirablenesses or all of him is desires or he is wholly desirable Here she breaks off her praises in a general Elogy which no words can express enough Alas saith the Spouse I want words to express how sweet how lovely how comely how desirable how eminent and how excellent Christ is in my eye and to my soul Hag. 2.8 he is the desire of all Nations de jure and all that is perfect in heaven or earth is but a dim shadow of his excellency and glory Where Christ is there is heaven heaven it self in the Spouse's eyes without Christ would be but a low little thing The Spouse looks upon Christ as the sparkling Diamond in the ring of glory So David when he was wofully clouded and benighted when all was dark within him and dark about him and dark over him Psal 73. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain See Psal 77. Psal 88. 1 Sam. 30.6 and washed my hands in innocency Ver. 21. My heart was grieved and I was pricked in my reins Ver. 22. I was as a beast before thee or I was as a great beast or as many beasts in one as the Hebrew word Behemoth imports Ver. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth that is my outward man and my inward man faileth me And yet mark at this very time when the Psalmist was thus overcast he keeps up in him very high precious and honourable thoughts of God Ver. 1. Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean
most excellent Saints John 17. Heb. 2. Isa 63.3 Rom. 8.30 31 32 33. Heb. 7.25 John 14.1 2 3 4. Acts 10.38 Phil. 2.4 5. Christ made himself poor to make others rich but men of narrow souls make others poor to make themselves rich 1 Cor. 6.8 2 Cor. 8.9 Christ left his Fathers bosom for a publick good he assumed our nature for a publick good he trod the wine-press of his Fathers wâ—ath for a publick good he died for a publick good and he rose for a publick good he ascended to heaven for a publick good and he continues in heaven for a publick good when he was in this world he went up and down doing good he healed others but was hurt himself he fed and filled others but was hungry himself Christ was all for a publick good Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Though self be a great stickler yet he that will write after Christs Copy must neglect himself to serve others That Christian acts most like Christ who prefers the publick interest before his own private interest The Stars have their brightness not for themselves but for the use of others and the Sun hath her shining light but not for her self but for others In the natural body every member is diffusive the eye conveys the light the head spirits the liver blood c. And why should it not be so in the politick body also And as Christ so Moses was a man of a publick spirit when God made a very fair profer to him that he would make him a great Nation Exod. 32.10 11 12. So Num. 14 4 10 13 14. if he would but stand Neuter till he had revenged himself upon a rebellious people but Moses had no mind to preserment upon those terms he preferr'd the publick good before his own honour profit and advancement and therefore follows God closs and never gives over pleading for them till he had procured their pardon Ver. 13.14 and turned away the wrath of God from them So Joshua was a man of a publick spirit Josh 19.49 When they had made an end of dividing the Land for inheritance by their coast the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them Joshua might have served himself first and he might have taken as large an Inheritance as he had pleased but he preferr'd the good of the people before his own he who had divided the Land to others was himself contented with very mean preferment for his inheritance was among the barren Mountains Hierom. as some observe So Jehoiada was a man of a publick spirit 2 Chron. 24.16 you read that they buried him in the City of David among the Kings because he had done good in Israel both towards God and towards his house Men of publick spirits shall be honoured both living and dying Neh. 5.14 15. So Nehemiah was a man of a brave publick spirit he holds on twelve years together in publick work upon his own cost and charge Esther 4.16 So Esther was one of a publick spirit and therefore she takes her life in her hand and goes in to the King with an If I perish I perish And so Mordecai was a man of a publick spirit Mordecai the Jew was next unto King Ahashuerus and great among the Jews Esth 10.3 and arcepted of the multitude of his brethren seeking the wealth of his people and speaking peace to all his seed Mordecai was more mindful and careful of his peoples peace prosperity and welfare than he was of his own concernments And so Dâ—vid was a man of a publick spirit for after he had served his own generation he fell asleep Acts 13.36 The spirit of the Lord has put this upon record for Davids honour and our imitation Davids soul did not live in a narrow Bowling-alley he was not a man of so poor low and narrow a spirit as to make himself the center of his designs and actions David was a man of a generous noble spirit the publick good lay nearest his heart and to serve his generation he was willing to spend and be spent The publick spirited man of all men is most like to Christ and to those Worthies who were once glorious on earth and are now triumphing in heaven The Apostle speaks of some who are lovers of themselves 2 Tim. 3.2 and who are seekers of themselves Phil. 2.21 and who are minders of themselves Phil. 3.19 They mind earthly things Of all these we may say as God speaks of Israel Israel is an empty vine Hos 10.1 he brings forth fruit unto himself yea of all these we may say that light is not more contrary to darkness heaven to hell glory to shame than these are contrary to Christ and to those precious servants of his who are crown'd and chronicled in the blessed Scriptures for their publick spiritedness and publick usefulness in the world But Thirdly Men of publick spirits are rare men excellent men of all men they most resemble God Mat. 5.45 Vir bonus magis aliis prodest quam sibi who does good to all there are none so excellent and truly honourable as these All the Instances cited to make good the second particular evidences this to which I may add that of Daniel who was a man of a publick spirit and of that excellent spirit as that he carried the Bell from all the Presidents and Princes of Darius his Court Dan. 6.3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the Presidents and Princes because an excellent spirit was in him and the King thought to set him over the whole Realm I might give you many other Instances from the Patriarchs and Apostles but what need that when blind nature speaks so loud in the case Men of publick spirits have been very excellent and honourable in the very eyes of all the Heathen Take a few Instances among the many hundreds that might be produced M. Attilius Regulus was a man of that publick spirit In Austins account he was the gallantest of all the old Romans that he valued neither State nor Life to serve his Countrey and preserve his own honour he got very much for his Countrey but little for himself seven Acres of Land being all that ever he had he was a man highly honoured among the Romans Titus Vespasian was a man of a publick spirit he governed so sweetly moderately and prudently that he was generally termed Delitiae humani generis the delight of mankind he was greatly honoured whilst he lived and when he died the people wept so bitterly for him as if they had been resolved to have wept out their yes Curius Dentalus was a man of a publick spirit and very victorious when his Countrey was setled he was found at dinner feeding hard on a few parched Pease when the Ambassadors were
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness How plainly how fully how with open mouth as I may say does he conclude his right to the crown of Righteousness so called partly because 't is purchased by the righteousness of Christ and partly because he is righteous that hath promised it and partly because 't is a just and righteous thing with God to crown them with glory at last who have for the Gospel sake and his glory sake been crowned with shame and reproach in this world and partly if not mainly because 't is a crown that can only be had or obtained in a way of righteousness and holiness from his graces and gracious actings in this world I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith yea 't is further observable that in the blessed Scripture we are strongly prest to do good works that by them we may make our calling election and salvation sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure By good works so say all the Latine Copies and so say some Greek Copies though not those that our English Translators have been pleased to follow and that is the reason why those words by good works are not in our English Bibles but he that shall seriously weigh the scope of the Apostle in this place he must of necessity grant that good works are to be understood thoâ—gh they are not exprest in the Text and that of the Apostle in 1 Tim. 6.16 17 18. seems plainly and strongly to sound the same way The second Maxim or Consideration SEcondly consider That true sound solid marks signs and evidences are the best way to prevent delusions there is no such deceit in sound and solid evidences as there is in fleshy joyes and in high and strange raptures by which many glistering Professors have been sadly deceived and deluded Young Samuel being not acquainted with any extraordinary manifestations of the presence and power of God took the voice of God from heaven to be the voice of old Ely 1. Sam. 3.5 Ah how many have there been in our dayes that have taken the irregular motions of their own hearts and the violent workings of their own distempered fancies and imaginations and Satanical delusions to be the visions of God celestial raptures divine breathings and the powerful impulses of the Spirit of God and so have been stirred up to speak write and act such things that have been not only contrary to the holy Word of God but also contrary to the very Laws of nature and Nations Satan by transforming of himself into an Angel of light hath seduced and ruined many Professors 2 Cor. 11.14 v. Gerson in his Book de probatione spirituum of the trial of spirits against whom as an Angel of darkness he could never prevail Gerson tells a remarkable story of Satans appearing to a holy man in a most glorious and beautiful manner professing himself to be Christ and because he for his exemplary holiness was worthy to be honoured above others therefore he appeared unto him but the good old man readily answered him that he desired not to see his Saviour in this wilderness it should suffice him to see him hereafter in heaven and withal added this pithy prayer O let thy sight be my reward Lord in another life and not in this and so he became victorious over Satan though he had transformed himself into a glorious Angel of light but such a a victorious crown has not been set upon every ones head to whom Satan has appeared as an Angel of glory See Dr. Casaubon and Dr. Moore concerning Enthusiasm Certainly they that stand so much so mightily for an immediate testimony seem to open such a gap to Enthusiasm as will not be easily shut yea how will they be ever able to secure to purpose poor souls from sad delusions for how easie a thing is it for Satan who is the father of lyes Joh. 8.48 who is an old deceiver Gen. 3.13 1 Tim. 2.14 who is the grand deceiver Rev. 12.9 Rev. 13.14 Rev. 19.20 Rev. 20.10 who has his devices Cor. 2.11 his wiles Eph. 6.11 his snares 1 Tim. 3.7 his depths Rev. 2.24 to find various artifices to counterfeit this immediate testimony and bear witness in the spirits stead so that when poor souls thinks that they have the Spirit of grace and truth to assure them that all is well and shall be for ever well with them they have none but the father of lyes to deceive them they have none but the devil in Samuels mantle to put a soul-murdering cheat upon them I am not fond of advising any poor souls to lay the stress of their hopes of heaven and salvation meerly upon immediate impressions lest they should subject themselves to infinite delusions O Sirs the way of immediate Revelation is more fleeting and inconstant such actings of the Spirit are like those outward motions that came upon Sampson Judg. 13.25 The Spirit came upon him at times and so upon every withdrawment new doubts and scruples arise but the trial of a mans estate by grace is more constant and durable saving grace being a continual pledge of God's love to us flashes of joy and comfort are only sweet and delightsom whilst they are felt but grace is that immortal seed that abideth for ever 1 John 3.9 But The third Maxim or Consideration THirdly consider In propounding of evidences for men to try their spiritual and eternal estates by there are two special Rules for ever to be minded and remembred and the first is this That he that propounds evidences of grace which are only proper to eminent Christians as belonging to all true Christians he will certainly grieve and sad those precious Lambs of Christ that he would not have grieved and sadded Look as there is a strong faith and a weak faith Mat. 15 28. and Chap. 8 26. It is one thing to shew you the properties of a man and another thing to shew you the properties of a strong man 1 Pet. 2.3 1 John 2.1 12 13 14. v. so there are evidences that are proper to a strong faith and evidences that are proper to a weak faith Now he that cannot find in himself the evidences of a strong faith he must not conclude that he has no faith for he may have in him the evidences of a weak faith when he has not the evidences of a strong faith in him in Christ's School House Church there are several sorts and ranks of Christians as babes children young men and old men and accordingly Ministers in their preaching and writing should sort their evidences that so babes and children may not be found bleeding grieving and weeping when they should be sound joying and rejoycing Secondly no man must make such characters marks or evidences of a child of God which may be found in an hypocrite a Formalist c. for this were to
honest thoughts such gracious thoughts of himself or of the goodness or happiness of his condition as he should entertain and as he would entertain if once he could but be too hard for the World the Flesh and the Devil O that you would remember this for ever viz. That the Lord never makes any Promises to support comfort cheer and encourage his people against their sadness darkness doubts and droopings but they shall support comfort cheer and encourage his poor people in that condition for otherwise the Lord should provide means for an end out of his infinite Wisdome love and tender care and compassion towards his people and yet they should never attain that end but thus to imagine is no small folly yea 't is little less than Blasphemy Well Sirs this is to be for ever remembred viz. That whatsoever gift or Grace of God in man brings him within the compass of Gods Promises of eternal favours and mercies that giâ—t that Grace must needs be an infallible sign or evidence of Salvation but such are the gifts and Graces specified in the fifteen particulars but now cited and therefore that Soul that really finds those gifts and Graces in himself or any of them shall certainly be saved But The Ninth Maxim or Consideration NInthly Consider this That in divers men there are divers degrees of Assurance and in one and the same gracious Soul there are different degrees of Assurance at divers times but there is in no man at any time in this life perfection of degrees for our understanding and knowledg in this Life is imperfect both as to the faculty and its acts 1 Cor. 13.12 For now we see through a glass darkly Gr. in a Riddle but then face to face Now I know in part but then shall I know even * As is not a note of equality but likeness so that the sense may be this look as God knoweth me after a manner agreeable to his infinite excellency so shall I know God according to my capacity not obscurely but perfectly as it were face to face as also I am known A clear distinct immediate full and perfect knowledg of God is desirable on earth but we shall never attain to it till we come to Heaven this Well is deep and for the most part we want a Bucket to draw withal the best of men can better tell what God is not than what he is the most acute and judicious in Divine knowledg have and must acknowledg their ignorance witness that great Apostle Paul who learned his Divinity among the Angels and had the Holy Ghost for his immediate Tutor yet he confesses that he knew but in part certainly there is no man under heaven that hath such a perfect compleat and full assurance of his Salvation in an ordinary way as that one degree cannot be added to the former Neither is there any repugnancy in asserting an infallible assurance and denying a perfect assurance for I infallibly know that there is a God and that this God is holy just and true and yet I have no perfect knowledg of a Deity nor of the holiness justice and truth of God for in this life the most knowing man knows but in part Dear friends in the Church of Christ there are Believers of several growths there are Fathers young men Children and Babes 1 John 1.13 14. 1 Pet. 2.2 And as in most families there are commonly more Children and Babes than grown men so in the Church of Christ there are commonly more weak staggering doubting Christians than there are strong ones grown up to a full assurance Some think that as soon as they be assured they must needs be void of all fears and filled with all joy in believing but this is a real mistake for glorious and ravishing joy is a separable accident from Assurance nor yet doth Assurance exclude all doubts and fears but only such doubts and fears as ariseth from infidelity and reigning hypocrisy But The Tenth Maxim or Consideration TEnthly Consider we have no ground from Scripture to expect that God should either by a Voice from Heaven or by sending an Angel from about his Throne or by any glorious apparitions or strong impressions or by any extraordinary way of Revelations assure us that we do believe or that our Grace is true or that our interest in God and Christ is certain or that our pardon is sealed in Heaven or that we are in a justified state and that we shall be at last undoubtedly saved O no! But we are to use all those blessed helps and means that are appointed by God and common to all Believers for the obtaining of a particular Assurance that we are Believers and that our state is good and that we have a special propriety in Christ and in all the fundamental good that comes by him Mark he that will receive no establishment no comfort no peace no assurance except it be administred by the hand of an Angel and witnessed to by some Voice from Heaven c. will certainly live and dye without establishment comfort peace or assurance Gregory tells us of a Religious Lady of the Empresses Bed-Chamber Vide Gregorii Epistolae á Lapide in 8. ad Rom. v. 16. whose name was Gregoria that being much troubled about her Salvation did write unto him That she should never cease importuning of him till he had sent her word that he had received a Revelation from Heaven that her sins were pardoned and that she was saved To whom he returned this Answer That it was a hard and altogether a useless matter which she required of him It was difficult for him to obtain as being unworthy to have the secret Counsels of God to be imparted to him and it was as unprofitable for her to know and that first because such a Revelation might make her too secure and secondly because it was impossible for him to demonstrate and make known unto her or any other the truth and infallibility of the Revelation which he had received to be from God so that should she afterwards call into question the truth of it as well she might her troubles and doubtings concerning her Salvation would have been as great as they were before O therefore let all Believers that would have sure establishment sound comfort lasting Peace and true and sweet assurance of the love of God and of their interest in Christ c. take heed of flying unto Revelations Visions or Voices from Heaven to assure them of their Salvation and of the love of God and of their interest in Christ c. If you who are advantaged to consult H story please to do it you will find upon Record that where one hath been mistaken about searching his own heart and trying his wayes and observing the frame and temper of his own spirit many hundreds have been eternally deceived and deluded by Voices Visions Apparitions Revelations 2 Thes 2.9 10 11 12. and strange impulses and strong
my Soul be thou much in adoring and admiring of free and infinite Grace that hath wrought all these thâ—ngs in thee and for thee But now dear hearts that this eleventh particular concerning probabilities of Grace may the better stick upon you and be the more seriously minded and weighed by you I beseech you often to ponder upon these six following things First That you have deserved Hell and therefore for you to have but a probability of going to Heaven is infinite grace and mercy you have deserved to be shut up in chains of darkness with Devils and damned Spirits to all eternity Jude 6. and therefore for you to have a probability of enjoying for ever the presence of God Heb. 12.22 23 24. Isa 33.14 Christ the glorious Angels and the Spirits of just men made perfect in Heaven is a mercy more worth than ten thousand worlds you have deserved to dwell with a devouring fire and to lye for ever under those flames and torments that are easless endless and remediless Psal 16. ult and therefore for you to have a probability of satiating and delighting your souls in that fulness of joy and in those everlasting pleasures that be at Gods right hand is Grace yea glorious Grace upon the Throne c. But Secondly Consider that if you cast up a true and faithful account you will certainly find that the comfort the peace the joy the quiet the rest the satisfaction the content that the generality of Saints do enjoy is more from probabilities of Grace than t is from any certainty or assurance that they have of Grace being in their Souls t is more from probabilities of an interest in Christ than from any assurance of an interest in Christ t is more from probabilities of being saved than t is from any special perswasions that they shall be saved t is more from probabilities of going to Heaven than t is from any raised fixed confidence that they shall go to Heaven and therefore the people of God have very great cause to bow before the Lord and to adore his Grace and for ever to speak well of his name for the very probabilities of Grace and of an interest in Christ and of being saved and glorified Thirdly Consider that there have been very many under such dreadful horrors and terrors of Conscience and under such wrath and displeasure of an angry God and that have lain trembling upon their dying beds and that have been even ready to be swallowed up in the gulf of despair who would have given all the world had it been in their power for the very probabilities of Grace He dyed desperately who dyed with this desperate saying in his month Spes fortuna valete Farewell life and hope together Despair is Satans master-piece it carries men headlong to Hell as the Devils did the herd of Swine into the deep Spira being in a deep despair for renouncing of those Doctrines of the Gospel which he had once stoutly profest said That he would willingly suffer the most exquisite tortures of Hell fire for the space of ten thousand years upon condition he might be well assured to be released afterward He further added in that hellish and horrible fit that his dear wife and children for whose sake principally he turned away from the Gospel to embrace this present world appeared now to him as Hangmen Hags and torturers A despairing Soul is Magor Missabib a terror to himself his heart a Hell of horrour his Conscience an Aceldama a Field of black Bloud So that as Augustin describes such a one flying from the Field to the City from the City to his house from his house to his Chamber from his Chamber to his bed c. So that he can rest no where but is as if infernal Devils in fearful shapes were still following of him and still terrifying and tormenting his distressed and perplexed Soul Now doubtless such poor souls would have given ten thousand worlds had they so many in their hands to give and that for the very probabilities of Grace and how many tempted deserted clouded wounded and benighted Souls are there who would think it a Heaven on this side Heaven if they could but see probabilities of Grace in their Souls O therefore let not the probabilities of Grace be a small thing in your eyes but bow the knee and let the High Praises of God be found in your mouths even for probabilities of Grace But Fourthly Consider that Saâ—an is a very deadly enemy to the least probabilities of grace and will do all he can to cloud darken and obscure probabilities of Grace since divine vengeance has cut him off from the least hopes from the least probability of ever obtaining the least dram of Grace or mercy Let not any think saith Luther the Devil is â—ow dead no nor yet asleep for as he that keepeth Israel so he thaâ— hateth Israel never slumbreth or sleepeth O how does he storm and take on against every probability of Grace and mercy that God vouchsafes to his people for their comfort and encouragement Satan is an old experienced enemy almost of six thousand years standing and he very well knowes that probabilities of grace will certainly arm a Christian against many temptations and sweetly support him under many afflictions and exceedingly heighten and raise his resolutions he knows that probabilities of grace will turn crosses into Crowns storms into calms and Winter nights into Summer dayes Satan knows that probabilities of grace will make every bitter sweet and every sweet seven times more sweet and therefore his spirit rises and swells against every probability of grace Now the greater Satans rage is against the probabilities of grace the more thankful we should be for the probabilities grace t is good to move and act cross to him who in all his actings loves to act cross to the glory of God and the good of our Souls But Fifthly Consider that from probabilities in outward things men commonly gather a great deal of comfort support quietness and satisfaction when the Physitian tells the Patient that t is probable yea very probable that he will recover live and do well O what a support comfort and refreshing is this to the languishing Patient when there is but a probability of a good Market how does the Market-man smile when there is but a probability of good Trading how does the Tradesman cheer up when there is but a probability of a good Voyage how does the Merchants and the Marriners spirits rise when there is but a probability of a good Harvest how does the Husbandman sing when there is but some hopes some probability of a Pardon for a Condemned man how does his spirits revive and how does his heart even leap and dance for joy and so when a Christian has but some hopes some probabilities of grace of an interest in Christ and of being saved he may well cheer up and maintain his ground against
A graceless heart is more abundantly willing to be freed from punishment the effect of sin than 't is willing to be freed from sin the cause of punishment A gracious heart sees more filthiness in sin than in Frogs and had rather be rid of his sins than of all the Frogs or Toads that be in the World See what a sad spirit was upon the children of Israel in that Numb 21.6 7. Heb. Burning Serpents thus they are called from the effect of their biting which caused a mortal burning and consequently such an excessive thirst as killed them And the Lord sent Fiery Serpents among the people and they bite the people and much people of Israel dyed Therefore the people came to Moses and said We have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the Lord that he take away the Serpents from us Now mark in the fifth verse you have them murmuring against God and Moses and divine dispensations and nauseating of the Wheat of Heaven as light meat because they came lightly by it they distrust the Providence of God they let fly at God their spirit swels against the holy one of Israel and they scorn deride revile and contumeliously and despitefully speak against Moses and though they had often smarted for these sins yet they are at them again upon this God sends an Army of Fiery Serpents among them and they bite and devour many of them And now they run to Moses who but a little before they had despised and are very importunate with him to pray to the Lord to take away the Serpents from them They do not desire Moses to improve his interest in Heaven that God would take away their proud hearts their distrustful hearts their murmuring hearts c. but that God would take away the Serpents they were much more desirous to be rid of their Serpents than they were to be rid of their sins So those in Jer. 30.15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity because thy sins were encreased I have done these things unto thee They do not cry out of their sins but they cry out of their afflictions Why cryest thou for thine affliction unsound hearts are more ready and willing to be rid of their afflictions than they are willing to have their Souls bettered or their lives mended or their lusts subdued by them Pilate was unwilling to condemn Jesus witness his seeking to release him and his washing his hands and his pleading his innocency c. Matth. 27.17 18 22 23 24. but yet the prevailing part of his will carryed him forth to deliver up Jesus to be scourged and Crucified v. 26. So Herod was unwilling to behead John Baptist witness that word The King was exceeding sorry Mark 6.26 But yet the prevailing part of his will carried him forth to cut off John's head v. 27. whose head was more worth than Herods Kingdom So Darius was very unwilling to cast Daniel into the Lyons Den witness his being sore displeased with himself and witness his setting his heart on Daniel to deliver him and witness his great unquietness of spirit for he could neither eat nor drink nor sleep the night after he was cast into the Lyons Den and witness his great joy at Daniels safety Dan. 6.14 18 19 20. All which did clearly argue a very great unwillingness that Daniel should suffer and yet the prevailing part of Darius his will carried him forth to sacrifice Daniel to the Lyons yea to that which was worse viz. the lusts of his enemies v. 16 17. By all these instances 't is most evident that the prevalent part of a wicked mans will stands most strongly byafs'd towards sin But now the prevalent part of a Christians will is to be rid of sin If the Lord should say to a gracious Christian Ask what thou wilt O Christian and it shall be granted to thee the Answer would be Lord rid me of my sins Lord take away mine iniquities Lord mortify my corruptions Lord whoever lives let these lust dye Lord drown these Egyptians in the Sea of thy Sons blood who have so violently and unweariedly pursued after the Blood of my precious Soul Lord kill and crucify all these sinful evils that have killed and Crucified the Lord of life and glory Psal 5.2 7. Lord wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Lord purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Lord carnal reason and flesh and bloud would fain have such and such pleasurable sins and such and such profitable sins indulged and spared but Lord the earnest the ardent desires of my soul are that I may be rid of them and that Justice to the heighth may be done upon them Lord be but the death of my sins and my soul shall say My lot is fallen in a pleasant place and verily I have a goodly heritage Lord cleanse me but from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and I shall cry Hâ—sanna to thee Matth. 21.9 Psal 16.6 2 Cor. 7.1 Lord let me but out live my lusts and follow them to the Grave before others follow me to my Grave and I shall say it is enough And thus every gracious Soul is more willing to be rid of his sins than he is to keep his sins A Porter cannot be more willing to be rid of his burden nor a sick man to be rid of his disease nor a Beggar of his nasty louzy rags nor a Prisoner of his chains than a gracious Soul is willing to be rid of his lusts c. Fourthly That Soul that does not nor through Grace assisting will not allow himself or indulge himself in a course of sin or in the common practise of any known sin that Soul is certainly a gracious soul The evil that I do Rom. 7.15 I allow not So Psal 119.1 3. Blessed are the undefiled in the way that walk in the Law of the Lord they also do no iniquity that is they allow not themselves in the practice of any iniquity Blessed souls live not in the service of sin they live not in an ordinary practice of any iniquity 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God He that has the seed of God the seed of Grace and Regeneration in him he cannot allow himself in away of sin he cannot give himself over to a voluntary serving of sin he cannot make a Trade of sin So Prov. 16.17 The highway of the upripht is to depart from evil that is it is the ordinary usual constant course of an upright man to depart from evâ—l An honest Traveller may step out of the Kings Highway into a house a Wood a Close but his work his business is to go on in the Kings Highway So the business the work
should make it our great business and work to come up to them and to imitate them to the life O friends the examples last cited should be very awakening very perswading very convincing and very encouraging because in them you may see that though abstinence from the appearance of evil be a difficult thing yet 't is a possible thing Shall we love to look upon the Pictures of our friends and shall we not much more love to look upon the holy examples of those eminent Saints that had the lively picture of Grace and the lovely Image of Christ fairly stampt upon their hearts and lives 'T is both our Mercy and our duty to eye the examples and to follow the footsteps of those Christians that have been most eminent in Grace as you may plainly see by comparing of these Scriptures together Prov. 2.20 Heb. 6.12 1 Thes 1.6 Phil. 4.9 2 Tim. 3.10 11 12. Heb. 12.1 Phil. 3.17 1 Cor. 11.1 Titus 2.7 He that would fain write a fair hand had need have his eye often upon his Copy and he that would fain abstain from all appearance of evil he had need often to eye the gracious examples of such who have made Conscience of abstaining from appearing evils as well as from apparent evils But Eighthly and lastly Consider what some refined Heathens and civilized Pagans have done in this very case There are stories of Heathens that would not look upon excellent Beauties lest they should be ensnared Dâ—mocritâ—â— pluckt out his own eyes to avoid the danger of uncleanness Socrates speaketh of two young men that flang away their Belts when being in an Idol-Temple the lustrating water fell upon them detesting saith the Historian the garment spotted by the Flesh Alexander would not see the woman after whom he might have lusted Scipio Africanus warring in Spain took New Carthage by storm Aure victor at which time a beautiful and noble Virgin fled to him for succour to preserve her Chastity he being four and twenty years old and so in the heat of youth hearing of it would not suffer her to come into his sight for fear of a temptation but caused her to be restored in safety to her Father So when Demâ—sthenes the Oratour was asked an excessive sum of money to behold the beautiful Lais he answered He would not buy repentance so dear neither was he so ill a Merchant as to sell eternals for temporals Nor Caesar would not search Pompeyes Cabinet lest he should find new matters of revenge Memorable is the story of the children of Samosâ—ta that would not touch their Ball but burnt it because it had touched the Toe of a wicked Heretical Bishop as they were tossing and playing with it Now shall some refined Heathens shall civilized Pagans abstain from the appearance of evil from occasions and temptations to sin and shall real Christians fall short of them Shall blind nature do more than Grace Shall men fallen in the first Adam do more than those that are raised and enlivened by the second Adam But to prevent all mistakes let me add though many Heathens have abstained from the appearance of some evil yet they have not abstained from the appearance of all evil neither have they abstained from the appearance of any evil out of a hatred of evil nor from any principles of saving light or life or love nor out of any regard to any Royal Law of God nor out of any regard to the honour or glory of God but either out of vain-glory and popular applause the Pole-stars by which they steered all their actions or out of Hypocrisy which set a tincture and Dy upon all their actions what Writer hath more golden Sentences than Seneca against the contempt of Gold yet if Tacitus and others of his contemporaries may be credited none more rich none more covetous than he as if out of design he had perswaded others to cast away their money that he himself might come and gather it up again c. And thus you see that there are very great reasons why every Christian should avoid the very shew suspition or appearance of evil c. But Eleventhly and lastly He that sets himself resolutely mostly habitually against his bosome sins his constitution sins Psal 18.26 his most prevalent sins c. he has certainly a saving work a powerful work of God upon his Soul True Grace will make a man stand stoutly and stedfastly on Gods side and work the heart to take part with him against the most darling sins though they be as right hands or as right eyes True Grace will lay hands upon a mans most beloved lusts and cry out to Heaven Lord Crucify them Crucify them down with them down with them even to the ground Lord do Justice do signal Justice do speedy Justice do exemplary Justice upon this Head-lust this Master-sin Lord hew down root and branch let the very stumps of this Dagon be broken all in pieces Lord curse this wild Fig-Tree that never more Fruit may grow thereon Certainly God and Christ is set up highest in that mans heart who bends most of his thoughts strength and endeavours against his constitution sins against the sins of his Place Calling condition and complexion 'T is very observable that the Jews after they had been in the Babilonish Furnace for Idolatry they ever hated and feared that sin as much as the burnt child dreads the Fire yea they would dye any death rather than admit an Idol Josephus tells us how stoutly they opposed Pilate and Petronius that would have set up Caesars Statue in their Temples offering their throats to the Swords of the Souldiers rather than they would endure that Idol in Gods house O when once the heart of a Christian comes thus to be set against all his Golden and Silver Idols then we may safely say Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile He that finds his lusts his bosome his darling lusts begin to fall before him 〈◊〉 6 1â— as Hâ—mâ—â— once begun to fall before Morâ—eoai he may safely and confidently conclude that he is of the seed of the Jews and that the seed of God abideth in him 1 John 3.9 But having discoursed so largely as I have concerning bosome sins darlâ—ng lusts head-corruptions in my other writings I need say no more at this time And thus you see that there are Eleven particulars in regard of sin and a Christians actâ—ngs about it that speaks out a true saving work of Grace to be in the Souls of the Saints But c. Secondly Where the constant ordinary standing and abiding purpose disposition frame and general bent of a mans heart soul spirit desires and endeavours are fixed and set for God for Grace for Holiness in heart and life there is a most sure and infallible work of God past upon that mans soul the constant bent and the setled purpose of a true child of God is for God for Grace for Holiness in heart
3.22 Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Every gracious soul hath the duplicate of God's Law in his heart and is willingly cast into the mould of his Word Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine that hath been delivered to you or whereto you were delivered as the words may be read They did not only obey but they obeyed from the heart their hearts were in their obedience Psal 40.8 I delight to do thy will O my God! yea thy Law is within my heart Col. 1.12 Phil. 1.8 Jer. 31.33 or in the midst of my bowels as the Hebrew runs these note the tenderest affections There is the counterpane of the Law written yea printed upon every gracious heart a godly man will live and dye with the Law of God stampt upon his heart O â—eata Apocalypsis said that Martyr catching up the Revelation that was cast into the same fire with him to be burnt O Blessed Revelation how happy am I to be burned with thee in my hands It was Christ's meat and drink to do his Father's will and the same mind is in all the Saints John 4. Phil 2.5 Rom. 7.22 as was in Christ Jesus They delight in the Law of God after the inward man True obedience flows from principles of heartiness and love within and not from by and base respects and ends that are carnal and worldly It is observable that John's obedience was as ample and as large as God's command 2 King 10.30 And the Lord said unto Jehu because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel And yet because his heart was not in his obedience and because he did not purely act for God but for himself that he might bring about his own designs he met with a revenge instead of a reward as you may see in that Hos 1.4 And the Lord said unto him call his name Jezreel for yet a little while and I will avenge the bloud of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu Jehu's heart was not in his obedience he had a dispensatory conscience for though he rooted out Baals worship yet the golden Calves must still continue He destroyed Idolaters but not Idolatry and this carnal policy brought down vengeance and misery upon him and his posterity Artaxerxes goes far Ezra 7.23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven let it be diligently done To what a highth doth this Heathen Prince rise He will do anything for God he will do every thing for God that he requires But mark what is that which moves him to it Is it love to God is it delight in God O no! all his obedience proceeded from nothing but fear of wrath and vengeance as is evident in the latter part of the verse For why should there be wrath upon the Realm of the King and of his Sons Or as the Hebrew runs Why should there be boyling or foaming anger great indignation As it is rendred and made the utmost degree of divine displeasure in that Deut. 29.28 Some read these words Against the Realm of the King and his Sons as distinct one from another and not depending one upon another thus Against the Realm the King and his Sons and this reading the Original will bear And this reading shews That as the King feared God's wrath against himself so also against his Realm and Children and accordingly he was the more studious and careful to escape it blind nature was afraid of divine wrath â—zek 26.25 26 27. and therefore was the more sedulous to prevent it O but now a true child of God he has the Law of God written not only in his understanding but also in his heart and affections and this is that which makes his obedience to be pleasing and delightful to him so that if he might be free from the injunctions and directions of the Word with the servant in the Law he would not value such a liberty Exod. 21.4 5 6 c. he would not swear nor lye nor be drunk nor whore nor dissemble nor cheat nor run into all excess of riot if he might because in his soul he has a principle of grace and an inward contrariety and antipathy against it Eccl. 9.2 he would not cease to hear to read to pray to meditate if he might because his soul takes a delight sweet complacency in these things there is a principle within him agreeable to the precept without him which makes all religious performances to be easie and pleasurable to him Look as the eye delights in seeing and the ear in hearing so a gracious heart except when 't is under a cloud of dissertion or in the School of temptation or under some grievous tormenting afflictions or sadly worsted by some prevalent corruption delights in obeying Actions of nature you know are actions of delight and so are all those actions that spring from a new nature a divine nature c. Fifthly That obedience that springs from faith is a transforming obedience it mightily alters and changes a man from impurity to purity from sin to sanctity 2 Cor. 3.18 Rom. 12.1 2. from unrighteousness to righteousness from earthly-mindedness to heavenly-mindedness from pride to humility from hypocrisie to sincerity c. Such as please themselves with this That they are no changlings and that they are whatever they were Acts 8.13 these are still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity That obedience of the Romans Rom. 16.19 which was said to have come abroad unto all men was an exemplary obedience and a transforming obedience Certainly Gospel-obedience is a grace of much worth and of great force upon the whole man for when it is once wrought in the heart it worketh a conformity to all God's holy will But having spoken more largely of this in my other writings let this touch here suffice c. Sixthly That obedience that springs from faith is a constant obedience 't is a fixed and resolved obedience not in respect of practise and continued acts for in many things we offend all Jaâ— 3.2 Eccl. 7.20 Prov. 20 9. 1 Kings 8.46 1 Joh. 1.8 Psal 17.3 There is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin There is no man that sinneth not If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us c. But in respect of a Christians sincere desires bent of will purpose of heart resolution of soul and faithful endeavours Psal 119.20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times Ver. 112. I have enclined my heart to keep thy
Hebrew runs Any way of pain or of grief or of provocation that is any course of sin that is grievous or provoking to the eyes of divine glory A real Saint can neither allow of sin nor wallow in sin nor be transformed into the image of sin nor mix it self with sin 'T is possible for a sincere Christian to step into a sinful path or to touch upon sinful facts Gal. 6.1 Prov. 16.17 and now and then in an hour of temptation to slide to trip and to be overtaken unawares but his main way his principle work is to depart from iniquity As a true traveller may now and then step a few steps out of his way who yet for the main keeps his way keeps the road or as a Bee may now and then light upon a thistle but her main work is to be gathering at the flowers or as a Sheep may now and then slip into the dirt or into a slow but its main work is to be grazing upon the mountains Certainly O soul if sin be now thy greatest burden it shall never hereafter prove thy eternal bane God never yet sent any man to hell for sin to whom sin has commonly been the greatest hell in this world God has but one hell and that is for those to whom sin has been commonly a heaven in this world That man that hates sin and that daily enters his protest against sin that man shall never be made miserable by sin Sin in a wicked man is like poyson in a serpent it is in its natural place it is delightful to a sinner but sin in a Saint is like poyson in a man's body it is offensive and the heart rises against it and is carried forth to the use of all divine Antidotes whereby it may be expelled and destroyed nothing will satisfie a gracious soul but the heart bloud of his lusts Now he shall never be damned for his sins whose heart is set upon killing his sins Seventeenthly Such a poor soul that dares not say that God is his God or that Christ is his Redeemer or that he has a work of grace upon his heart yet can say with some integrity of heart before the Lord that if God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness were offered to him on the one hand and all the honours pleasures profits delights and carnal contents of the world were offered him on the other hand he had infinitely rather ten thousand thousand times chuse God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness than the contrary Certainly such a soul has true grace in him and a saving work past upon him for none can freely seriously habitually resolutely chuse God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness as their summum bonum chiefest good but such who are really good 1 John 4.19 Deut. 7.6 7 8 9. 26.17 18 19. Look as our love to God is but an effect of his love to us We love him because he first loved us so our chusing of God for our God is but an effect of God's chusing us for his people we chuse him because he first chose us Such who in their serious choice set up God and Christ above all other persons and things such God will certainly make happy and blessed for ever God never did nor never will reject those or damn those who really chuse him for their God and for their great all The greatest part of the world chuse their lusts rather than God and the creatures rather than Christ Luke 12.21 they chuse rather to be great than gracious to be rich in this world than to be rich towards God to be outwardly happy than to be inwardly holy Mat. 10.42 to have a heaven on earth than to have a heaven after death and so they miscarry for ever That soul that with Mary has chosen the better part that soul with Mary shall be happy for ever every man must stand or fall for ever as his choice has been But Eighteeenthly Canst thou truly say in the presence of the great and glorious God that is the searcher of all hearts Psal 139.23 24. that thou hast given up thy heart and life to the rule authority and government of Jesus Christ and that thou hast chosen him to be thy Soveraign Lord and King and art truly willing to submit to his dominion as the only precious and righteous government and as the only holy and heavenly sweeâ— and pleasant profitable and comfortable safe and best dominion in all the world and to resign up thy heart thy will thy affections thy life thy all really to Christ wholly to Christ Isa 26.13 and only to Christ Canst thou O poor soul look up to heaven and truly say O dear Lord Jesus other Lords viz. the world the flesh and the devil have had dominion too long over me but now these Lords I do heartily renounce Isa 33.22 I do utterly renounce I do for ever renounce and do give up my self to thee as my only Lord beseeching thee to rule and reign over me for ever and ever O Lord though sin rages and Satan roars and the world sometimes frowns and sometimes fawns yet I am resolved to own thee as my only Lord and to serve thee as my only Lord and my greatest fear by divine assistance shall be of offending thee and my chiefest care shall be to please thee and my only joy shall be to be a praise a name and an honour to thee O Lord I can appeal to thee in the sincerity of my heart Psal 65.3 Rom. 7.23 that though I have many invincible sins weaknesses and infirmities that hang upon me and though I am often worsted by my sins and overcome in an hour of temptation yet thou that knowest all thoughts and hearts thou dost know that I have given up my heart and life to the obedience of Jesus Christ and do daily give them up to his rule and government and 't is the earnest desire of my soul above all things in this world that Jesus Christ may still set up his Laws in my heart and exercise his dominion over me Now certainly there is not the weakest Christian in all the world but can venture himself upon such an appeal to God as this is and without all peradventure where such a frame and temper of spirit is there the dominion of Jesus Christ is set up and where the dominion of Christ is set up there sin has no dominion for the dominion of sin and the dominion of Christ are inconsistent and therefore such a soul is happy and will be happy to all eternity But Cant. 8.5 Acts 11.21 22 23 Psal 71.16 Isa 61.10 Nineteenthly That man that will venture his soul upon Christ and that will lean upon Christ and cleave to Christ with full purpose of heart and that will cleave to his bloud and cleave to his righteousness and cleave to his merits and satisfaction in
I answer affirmatively That notwithstanding all this yet a true penitential turning from sin is a continued and stedfast turning from sin and that in these five respects First In respect of his habitual purpose and resolution not to sin Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me See my Treatise on holiness page 507 508 509. David resolves to lay a Law of restraint upon his tongue and to clap a muzzle upon his mouth whilst he was in the presence of the wicked who did lye at the catch to ensnare him and trapan him come health come sickness come honour come reproach come poverty come plenty come liberty come restraint come life come death the true penitent is fixed in his purpose and resolution not to sin Jerom writes of a brave woman that being upon the wrack told her persecutors that they might do their worst for she was firmly resolved rather to dye than lye Secondly In respect of his babitual desires which are that he may not sin Psal 119.133 Order my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me David's great desire is that he may walk as in a frame that he may walk by line and rule exactly accurately and that though sin did dwell in him that yet it might not reign in him and though it did rebel in him that yet it might not have dominion over him he would have his sins to be like those beasts in Daniel whose dominion was taken away though their lives were prolonged for a season and a time Chap. 7.12 Psal 119.10 O let me not wander from thy commandements Ver. 36. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not to covetousness Under the name of covetousness all manner of viciousness is to be understood that being the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.10 Thirdly In respect of his habitual endeavours which still are not to sin The ordinary and habitual endeavours of a true penitent are still set against sin he ordinarily rows against the stream of sin though sometimes the stream proves too strong for him Psal 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee He hides the word in his heart as a treasure that he might not lose it and as a rule that he might not transgress against it The Law of God kept closs in the heart is the best armour of proof against evil lusts David locks up the Law of God in his heart as in a chest or cabinet to secure him against Satan's ambushes and assaults on the one hand and to preserve him from sin on the other hand So Psal 18.23 I have kept my self from mine iniquity Fourthly In respect of his habitual hatred of sin Although the true penitent does sometimes sin yet he alwayes hates the evil he does there is a firm and fixed hatred in his soul against sin Psal 119 1â—â— Therefore I hate every false way Ver. 113. I hate vaâ—â—â—â—oughts Ver. 163. I hate and abhor lying So Rom. 7.15 The evil that I hate that I do A penitent heart usually rises and swells against the toad in the bosom Some say that there is such a native dread and terror of the Hawk implanted in the Dove that she is afraid of every feather and that she detests and abhors the very sight of any feather that hath grown upon a Hawk so there is such a detestation abhorrency of sin divinely implanted in every penitent man's heart that he cannot but hate every thing that looks like it or that belongs to it or that comes from it Fifthly In respect of his constant path or continued way or course of life which is quite opposite and contrary to sin Gal. 5.17 Isa 26.7 The way of the just is uprightness Prov. 16.17 The high-way of the upright is to depart from evil It is as common and ordinary for upright persons to depart from evil as 't is for Passengers to keep the King's high-wayes Though an upright man through mistake or weakness of grace or violence of temptation may step out of a way of holiness yet walking in a way of wickedness cannot be charged upon him Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting You know the path and practise of penitent Zacheus of penitent Paul and of the penitent Jaylor was quite contrary to those wayes of wickedness that they had formerly walked in The fourth Answer Ans 4 But fourthly and lastly As a true penitential turning from sin is a constant and continued turning from sin so 't is a returning to God Sin is an aversion from God and repentance is a conversion to God Act. 26.18 Sound repentance is not only a ceasing from doing evil but also a learning to do well Isa 1.16 17. Repentance and turning to God are joyned together as being one and the same thing Act. 26.20 The Prodigals repenting was his returning to his Father Luke 15.17 When he came 〈◊〉 himself he said I will arise and go to my father and say father 〈◊〉 â—ave sinned against heaven and before thee c. The Hebrew word for repentance is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shob which signifies to return implying a going back from what a man had done it notes a returning or converting from one thing to another as from sin to God from evil to good from hell to heaven The common call of sinners to repentance is to turn from sin and to return to God Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way Consult these Scriptures Isa 44.22 Isa 19.22 Isa 59.20 Hosea 3.5 Hosea 6.1 Hosea 14.1 and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord c. Jer. 1.4 If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight then shalt thou not remove And so Chap. 18.11 Return ye now every one from his evil way and make your way and your doings good 1 Pet. 2.25 For ye were as sheep going astray but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls 'T is not enough for a sinner to forsake his sins but he must also return to the Lord. The true penitent subjects his heart to the power of divine grace and his life to the blessed will and word of God Look as negative goodness can never satisfie a penitent soul so negative goodness can never save an impenitent soul It is not enough O man that thou art not thus and thus bad but thou must be thus and thus good or thou wilt be miserable for ever Ezek. 18.21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he
heaven for his being a soul famous in uprightness and holiness than Jobâ— as you may see Job 1.8 And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou conâ—â—â—â—ed my servant Job than there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil Job was high in worth and humble in heart Job 42.5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine â—â—e seeth thee I abhor my self in dust and ashes This expression is the deepest act of abhorrency abhorrency strictly taken is hatred wound up to the height I abhor my self The Hebrew word that is rendred abhor signifies to reject to disdain to contemn to cast off Ah sayes Job I abhor my self I reject my self I disdain my self I cast off my self I have a very vile and base esteem of my self David was a man of great integrity a man after Gods own heart and yet he looks upon himself as a Flea 1 King 15.5 and what is more contemptible than 〈…〉 looks upon himself as a Flea so he looks upon himself as a worm 1 Sam. 26.20 I am a worm and no man The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tolagnath Psal 22.6 that is here rendred a worm signifies a very little worm which breedeth in scarlet a worm that is so liâ—â—l◠〈◊〉 that a man can hardly perceive it A worm is the most despicable creature in the world trampled under foot by man and beasts he who was in God's eye a man after his own heart is in his own eye but a despicable worm A sincere Christian is a little little nothing in his own eyes So Paul who had been caught up into the thâ—â—d heavâ—â— Chrysostom 〈◊〉 learned his divinity among the Angels as one speaks and had such glorious Revelations as could not be uttered yet he accounts himself less than the least of all Saints Ephâ— â— 8â— Unto me who am less than the least of all Saints Vide Esâ—ius â—â—â—â—m c. The Greek is 〈◊〉 comparative made of a superlative less than the least 〈…〉 Saints is a double diminutive and signifies lesser than the least if lesser might be not that any thing can be less than the least Paul's rhetorick doth not cross Aristotles Philosophy the original word being a double diminâ—tive his meaning is that he was as little as could be therefore he put himself down so little as could not be less than the least Here you have the greatest Apostle descending down to the lowest step of humility great Paul is least of Saints 1 Tim. 1.15 last of the Apostles and greatest of sinners So Peter Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord Luke 5.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Greek runs A man a sinner a very mixture and compound of dirt and sin a meer bundle of vice and vanity of folly and iniquity So Luther I have no other name than sinner sinner is my name sinner is my sirname this is the name by which I shall be alwayes known I have sinned I do sin I shall sin in infinitum saith Luther speaking vilely and basely of himself Lord I am hell and thou art heaven said blessed Hooper I am a most hypocrital wretch not worthy that the earth should bear me said blessed Bradford Thus you see by these several instances that sincere Christians do as it were take a holy pleasure and delight to debase humble and villifie themselves But this is a work hypocrites are meer strangers to there is not an hypocrite under heaven that loves to debase himself or that makes it his duty conscientiously to villifie and lessen himself that Christ may be set up above all Augustin Humility is a grace hardly attained unto Many saith one can more easily give all they have to the poor than themselves become poor in spirit But Ninthly No hypocrite will long hold out in the work and wayes of the Lord in the want of outward incouragements and in the face of outward discouragements An hypocrite is an Apostate cased and an Apostate is an hypocrite uncased Job 27. ver 8. For what is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God shall take away his soul Ver. 10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty Will he alwayes call upon God Or as the Hebrew runs Will he in every time call upon God It may be he may formally call on God in time of prosperity but can he seriously do it in time of adversity Sometimes when the rod is upon them then they will pour out a prayer to God Isa 26.16 In their affliction they will seek me earthly When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired after God Hos 5. ult Psal 78 34. But this was not the standing frame of their hearts Ver. 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues Ver. 47. For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant When Pharoah was upon the wrack he could roar out a confession Exo. 10.16 17. Ver. 19.20 and earnestly cry out for a prayer but when the judgment was removed Pharoah was as proud and hard and blind as ever 1 King 1.50 51 When Adonijah was in danger of death then he could hang on the horns of the Altar When Ahab was threatned with utter desolation then he could fast and lye in sackcloth and so did the Minivites Jonah 3. But all this was but like Ephraim and Judah's goodness that as a morning cloud and as the early dew passeth away Will the hypocrite alwayes or in every time call upon God will the hypocrite call upon God as often as providence calls him to call upon God will he call upon God as often as judgments call him to call upon God will he call upon God as often as conscience calls him to call upon God will he call upon God as often as 't is his duty to call upon God will he call upon God as often as others call upon him to call upon God Oh no. The hypocrite will not alwayes call upon God he will not persevere in prayer he will not hold on nor hold out in prayer he is short spirited he can't alwayes pray and not faint or shrink back as sluggards do in work or cowards in war as the original word in Luke imports Luke 18.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An hypocrite for want of an inward principle can neither delight in God nor alwayes call upon God If God comes not at his call if he opens not as soon as he knocks he is out of patience and ready to say with that proud prophane Prince Behold this evil is of the Lord and what should I wait for him any longer 2 Kings 6 33. If any hypocrite obtains the mercy he desires then he will throw off prayer as he said Take away
the net the fish is caught if he obtains not the mercy then he will grow weary of his duty Thou hast been weary of me O Israel Mal. 1.13 Isa 43.22 Prayer is too hard and too high a work for an unsound heart to hold on in prayer is heart-work and that proves heavy work to him The soul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of the soul before God and this is a work that an hypocrite has no skill in 1 Sam. 1.15 It was a prophane and blasphemous speech of that Atheistical wretch that told God he was no common beggar he never troubled him before with prayer Hil. Mic. p. 376. and if he would but hear him that time he would never trouble him again Even such a spirit and such principles lye lurking in every hypocrites breast Doubtless he hit it who said How canst thou expect that God should hear thee Cyprian de oratione Dominica Psal 116.1 2. Gen. 32.24 to ver 29. Hos 12.3 4. Mat. 15.22 to ver 28. when thou wilt not hear thy self or that God should give thee a return in prayer when thou art not mindful what thou askest in prayer But now a sincere Christian he will go on in prayer speed or not speed if he prevails he will love prayer the better all his dayes if he don't for the present prevail he will be so much the more importunate with God in prayer 'T is as natural for a bird to live without Air and for a fish to live without water and for a man to live without food as 't is for a sincere heart to live without prayer O saith Chrysostom it is more bitter than death to be spoyled of prayer Dan. 6. Prayer is porta coeli clavis paradisi the seat of heaven a key to let us into paradise And hereupon as he observes Daniel chose rather to run the hazard of his life than to lose or give over his private prayers Prayer is the key of heaven and a sincere Christian loves much to be a handling of that key though he should dye for it As that Emperor said Oportet Imperatorem stantem mori It behoves an Emperor to dye standing So may I say Oportet Christianum mori praecantem It behoves a Christian to dye praying An hypocrite will never hold out to the end let but outward incouragements fail him and his heart will quickly fail him in a way of duty Hypocrites are like blazing Stars which so long as they are fed with vapours shine as if they were fixed Stars but let the vapours dry up and presently they vanish and disappear let but the eye the ear the applause of men fail the hypocrite and he will be ready to throw up all 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. 2 Tim. 4.10 If an hypocrite can't make some gain of his godliness some profit of his profession some advantage of his Religion he will be ready with Demas to turn his back upon all religious duties and services Look as a lame horse when he is heated will go well enough but when he cools will halt down right even so an hypocrite though for a time he may go on fairly in his way yet in the end he will halt down right bid farewel if not defiance to all religious duties and services Profit and applause are usually the baits that hypocrites bite at and if they miss these baits then farewel profession farewel Religion farewel all John 6.66 From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Many hypocrites who had given up their names to Christ and who for a time had been followers of Christ at last deserted him and turned their backâ— for ever upon him Mat. 13.5 Some fall upon stony places where they had not much earth not much care to receive not much understanding to apprehend not much faith to believe not much will to obey or not much love to retain it and forthwith they sprung up because they had no deepness of earth Ver 6. And when the Sun was up they were scorched and because they had no root they withered away This second ground goes beyond the former For 1. It receives the seed 2. Incontinently 3. With joy 4. It brings up the seed sown it sprung up to sundry degrees 1. To external obedience and reformation in many things 2. To an outward profession 3. To a kind of faith but when the Sun of persecution beat hot upon them they withered and fell away not all at once but by little and little as a leaf loseth his greeness and flourish and withers by degrees In the Palatinate when the Sun of persecution began to scorch them scarce one Professor of twenty stood out but fell to Popery as fast as leaves in Autumn The Chrystal looks like pearl till it comes to the hammering so an hypocrite looks like a Christian and in many things acts like a Christian till he comes to be hammered by sufferings by persecutions and then he discovers himself in his colours and with Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1.19 20. Hos 5.2 he makes shipwrack of faith and a good conscience In suffering times hypocrites labour mightily to put out that light which shines in their bosoms and when they have quencht that light then farewel faith farewel profession farewel a good conscience farewel all The wolf though he often dissembles and clossly hides his nature yet he can't alwayes do so for at one time or other he will shew himself to be a Wolf So though an hypocrite may carry it clossly for a time yet he will one time or other discover himself to be an hypocrite It is reported of the waters of Nilus that having run many hundred of miles a pure and clear water when it comes near the Mediterranean Sea it begins to grow brackish and salt and at last it falls into the Sea and loseth its name Sooner or later this will be the case of all hypocrites they won't retain their spiritual fairness clearness and sweetness long but by degrees will grow brackish and salt and lose their names and all that seeming goodness and sweetness that once seemed to be in them But now a sincere Christian he will hold on and hold out in the wayes of the Lord in the want of all outward incouragements and in the face of all multiplyed discouragements When the eye of men the favour of men the bounty of men and all other encouragement from men fails yet then a sincere Christian will hold up and hold on in his work and way Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger The righteous man shall go on in a way of righteouss to the end no multiplyed calamities or miseries shall ever work him to decline the way of righteousness From this way a sincere Christian will never be withdrawn either by any hopes or advantages on the one hand or
spiritual mysteries by carnal reason and fame among the Pharisees and he fasted and prayed and gave alms and paid tythes c. and yet a meer stranger to the new birth Regeneration was a paradox to him How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born This great Doctor was so great a Dunce that he understood no more of the doctrine of Regeneration than a meer child does the darkest precepts of Astronomy 1 Cor. 2.14 Look as water can rise no higher than the spring from whence it came so the natural man can rise no higher than nature An hypocrite may know much and pray much and hear much and fast much and give much and obey much and all to no purpose because he never manages any thing he does in a right manner he never carries on his work from inward principles of faith fervency life love delight c. Will the hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty Ans No he cannot delight himself in the Almighty Job 27.10 Job speaks of the hypocrite as is evident ver 8. 1. To delight in God is one of the highest acts of grace and how can an hypocrite put forth one of the highest acts of grace who hath no grace An hypocrite may know much of God and talk much of God and make a great profession of God and be verbally thankful to God but he can never love God nor trust in God nor delight in God nor take up his rest in God c. 2. An hypocrite knows not God and how then can he delight in that God whom he does not know An hypocrite has no inward saving transforming experimental affectionate practical knowledge of God and therefore he can never take any pleasure or delight in God 3. There is no sutableness between an hypocrite and God and how then can an hypocrite delight himself in God There is the greatest contrariety imaginable 'twixt God and an hypocrite God is light and the hypocrite is darkness 2 Cor. 6.15 16 God is holiness and he filthiness God is righteousness and he unrighteousness God is fulness and he emptiness Now what complacency can there be where there is such an utter contrariety 4. Every hypocrites heart is full of enmity against God and how then can he delight himself in God The carnal mind is enmity against God Rom. 8.7 To delight in God is Christianorum propria virtus saith Hierom. for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be The best part of an hypocrite is not only averse but utterly adverse to God and all goodness The Eagle saith the Philosopher hath a continual enmity with the Dragon and the Serpent And so an hypocrites heart is still full of enmity against the Lord and therefore he can never delight himself in the Lord. 5. The stream cream and strength of an hypocrites delight runs out to himself and to this lust or that to this relation or that to this creature-comfort or that to this worldly enjoyment or that or else to arts parts gifts priviledges c. and therefore how can he delight himself in the Almighty An Hypocrite alwayes terminates his delight in something on this side God Christ and Heaven Look as the Apricock-tree though it leans against the wall yet it is fast rooted in the earth so though an hypocrite may lean towards God and towards Christ and towards heaven yet his delight is still rooted fast in one creature-comfort or another c. Mark 6. God nor Christ is never the adequate object of an hypocrites delight An hypocrite is never principled to delight himself in a holy God neither can he cordially divinely habitually delight himself in holy duties An hypocrite may reform many evil things and he may do many good duties and yet all this while it is only his practises but not his heart or principles that are changed and altered Mark though an hypocrite hath nothing in him which is essential to a Christian as a Christian yet he may be the compleat resemblance of a Christian in all those things which are not essential to him An hypocrite in all the externals of Religion may be the compleat picture of a sincere Christian but then if you look to his principles and the manner of his managing of holy duties there you will find him lame and defective and as much unlike a sincere Christian 1 Sam. 19.13 16. as ever Michal's Image was unlike to David and this will prove the great crack the great break-neck of hypocrites at last O Sirs It is considerable that outward motives and natural principles have carried many Heathens to do many great and glorious things in the world Did not Sisera do as great things as Gideon the difference did only lye here that the great things which Gideon did he did from more spiritual principles and raised considerations than any Sisera was acted by Heb. 11. And did not Diogenes trample under his feet the great and glorious things of this world as well as Moses The difference did only ly in this that Moses trampled under his feet the gay and gallant things of this world from inward gracious principles viz. faith love c. and from high and glorious considerations viz. heaven the glory of God c. whereas Diogenes did only trample upon them from poor low prineiples and from meer outward carnal external considerations The favour of men the eye of men the commendations of men the applause of men and a great name among men were golden apples great things among the Philosophers The application is easie Mark A sincere Christian he looks to the manner as well as to the matter of his duties he acts and performs duties not only from strength of parts and acquired qualifications but from strength of grace and infused habits Rom. 11.24 Ezek. 36.25 Jer. 31.33 Rom. 3.5 2 Cor. 5.19 2 Pet. 1.4 Eph. 3.17 2 Cor. 13.5 he acts from God and for God he acts from a new heart he acts from the Law written in his heart he acts from the love of God shed abroad in his heart he acts from the divine nature communicated to him he acts from the spirits in-dwelling in his heart he acts from the fear of God establishing his heart These be the springs and principles of a sincere Christians spiritual life and actions and where they act and bear rule it is no wonder if such motions and performances as the world may admire but not imitate Sauls life after his conversion was a kind of constant miracle 2. Cor. 11. so much he did and so much he suffered and so much he denyed himself that if he lived in these dayes his life would be a miracle but yet if we consider the principles that he was acted by the great wonder will be not that he did so much but that he did no more Gal. 2.20 For saith he