all lights When God is gone it is night with the soul cannot make up the want of the light of the Sun so all temporal comforts cannot make up the want of one spiritual comfort So Job sometimes sings Job 16. 19. 19. 25. Job 6. 4. it out My Witness is in Heaven and my Record is on high and my Redeemer lives c. At other times you have him complaining The Arrows of the Almighty stick fast in me and their poyson drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me And in the 29 Chapter you have him sighing Job 29. 2 3 4 5. Tota vita boni Christiani sanctum desiderium est The whole life of a good Christian is an holy wish saith One. it out thus O that I were as in moneths past as in the days when God preserved me when his candle shined up on my head and when by his light I walked thorow darkness As I was in the days of my youth when the secret of God was upon my Tabernacle when the Almighty was yet with me c. Now by all these clear instances and by many others Saints Experiences it is evident That the choicest Saints may loose their assurance and the lustre and glory of it may decay and wither What the Soul should do in such a case and how it should be recovered out of this sad state I shall shew you towards the close of this Discourse The sixth Proposition is this That The sixth Proposition the certainty and infallibility of a Christians assurance cannot be made known to any but his own heart He can say as the blinde man once said This I know John 9. 25. that once I was blinde but now I see once I was a slave but now I am a son once I was dead but now I am alive Rom. 8. 6. 11 13. once I was darkness but now I am light in the Lord once I was a childe of wrath Ephes 5. 8 2. 3. John 8. 36. an heir of Hell but now I am an heir of Heaven once I was Satans bondman but now I am Gods freeman once I 2 Cor. 3. 17. was under the spirit of bondage but Gal. 5. 1 13. Eph. 1. 13 14. now I am under the spirit of adoption that seals up to me the remission of my sins the justification of my person and the salvation of my soul All this I Can you compass the Heavens with a span or contain the Sea in a Nut-shel then may you fully evidence your assurance to others know says the assured Saint but I cannot make you know it certainly and infallibly if you would give me a thousand worlds What I have found and felt and what I do finde and feel is wonderfully beyond what I am able to express I am as well able to tell the Stars of Heaven and to number the Sand of the Sea as I am able to declare to you the joy the joy the unconceivable joy the assurance the glorious 1 Pet. 1. 8. So my yong Lord Harrington and Nazianzen and Vincentius and Faniâ—us an Italian Martyr with many more that might be named assurance that God hath given me Severinus the Indian Saint under the power of assurance was heard to say O my God do not for pity so ever joy me if I must still live and have such consolations take me to Heaven c. So say souls under the power of assurance Lord we are so filled with joy and comfort with delight and content that we are not able to express it here on Earth and therefore take us to Heaven that we may have that glory put upon us that may inable us to declare and manifest those glorious things that thou hast wrought in us Parents do by experience feel such soundings such meltings such rowlings such sweet workings of their affections and bowels towards their children that for their lives they cannot to the life describe to others what it is to be a Father to be a Mother what it is to have such rowlings of bowels towards children Assurance is that white stone that none knoweth Vide Beza Bullenger Pererius and Brightman on the words but he that hath it Revel 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it White stones were in great use among the Romans 1. In white stones they used to write the names of such as were victorious and Conquerors so in that Text To him that overcometh will I give a white stone 2. They used to acquit the innocent And they gave black stones to note their condemnation in Courts of Justice by giving them a white stone and so here the white stone points out absolution and remission 3. They used to give a white stone to those that were chosen to any places of honor so the white stone of assurance Heb. 12. 28. Matth. 6. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 4. is an evidence of our Election of our being chosen to a Kingdom that shakes not to riches that corrupt not and to a crown of glory that fades not And thus much for this sixt Proposition viz. That the certainty and infallabillity of a Christians assurance cannot be made known to any but his own heart The seventh Proposition is this That The seventh Proposition there are some special seasons and times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his favor and love and they are these that follow First Sometimes I say not always at first conversion the Lord is pleased to make out sweet manifestations of his love to the penitent soul when the soul hath been long under guilt and wrath when the soul hath been long under the frowns and displeasure of God and hath long seen the gates of Heaven barred against him and the mouth of Hell open to receive him when the soul hath said surely there is no hope there is no help surely I shall loose God Christ and Heaven for ever Then God comes in and speaks peace to the soul then he says I will blot out thy iniquities for my name sake and will remember thy sins no more Hark soul hark says Christ My Isai 55. 8 9. thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my ways as your ways My thoughts toward you are thoughts of peace and thoughts of love Hark soul here is Mercy to pardon thee and here is Grace to adorn thee here is a Righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. to justifie thee here is eye-salve to enlighten thee and gold to Revel 3. 18. enrich thee and rayment to cloath thee and balm to heal thee and bread to nourish thee and wine upon the lees to chear thee and happiness to Isai 25. 6. crown thee and my self to satisfie thee
upon thee Divine Wisdom sparkles much in this in giving milk to Babes that are more carnal then spiritual and meat i. e. Assurance to strong men that have more skill and will that have a greater ability and choicer faculty to prize and improve this Jewel Assurance then babes have The Hebrew word Chabodh signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both weight and glory and verily glory is such a weight that if the body were not upheld by that glorious power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave if it were not bore up by everlasting Arms it were impossible it Deut. 33. 27. should bear it Now assurance is the top of glory it is the glory of glory Psal 45. 13. then certainly they had need be very glorious within that shall be crowned with such a weight of glory as assurance is Well remember this It is mercy to want mercy till we are fit for mercy till we are able to bear the weight of mercy and make a divine improvement of mercy Thirdly You must distinguish between Answ 3 Every audience increaseth love thanks and trust Psa 116. 1 2 3. And those mercies are best improved which we receive after we have been long upon our knees delays and denials God may delay us when he does not deny us he may defer the giving in of a mercy and yet at last give the very mercy begged Barren Hannah prayes yeer after yeer for a mercy God delayes her long but at last gives her her desire and the Text sayes expresly that her countenance was no more sad 1 Sam. 1. 18. After many prayers and tears the Lord comes in and assures her that she should have the desire of her soul and now she mourns no more but sits down satisfied comforted and cheered After much praying waiting and weeping God usually comes with his hands and his heart full of mercy to his people He loves not to come Vacuis manibus empty handed to those that have sate long with wet eyes at Mercies door Christ tries the faith patience and constancy of the Canaanite woman he deferred Matth. 15. 21 to 29. and delayed her he reproached and repulsed her and yet at last is overcome by her as not being able any longer to withstand her importunate requests O woman great is thy faith Be Exclamat tanquam victus Brugensis He cryes out as conquered it unto thee even as thou wilt Christ puts her off at first but closes with her at last at first a good word a good look is too good for her but at last good words and good looks are too little for her Be it unto thee even as thou wilt At first Christ carries himself to her as a churlish stranger but at last as an amorous lover though at first he had not an ear to hear her yet at last he had a heart to grant her not onely her desires but even what else she would desire over and above what she had desired God heard Daniel at Dan. 9. 15. to 25. the beginning of his supplications and his bowels of loâ—â— was working strongly towards him but the Angel Gabriel doth not inform Daniel of this till afterwards Praying souls you say that you have prayed long for assurance and yet you have not obtained it Well pray still O pray and wait wait and pray the Vision is for Hab. 2. 3. an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry God hath never God will never fail the praying soul at the long run thou shalt be sure to obtain that assurance that will richly recompence thee for all thy praying waiting and weeping therefore hold up and hold on praying though God doth delay thee and my soul for thine thou shalt reap in due season such a harvest of Gal. 6. 9. joy and comfort as will sufficiently pay thee for all thy pains Shall the Husband-man wait patiently for the precious fruits of the Earth and wilt Jam. 5. 7. not thou wait patiently for assurance which is a Jewel more worth then Heaven and Earth Praying souls remember this It is but weakness to think that men shall reap as soon as they sow that they shall reap in the Evening when they have but sowed in the Morning Titus Vespasian never Suelonius dismist any Petitioner with a tear in his eye or with a heavy heart and shall we think that the God of compassions will always dismiss the Petitioners of Heaven with tears in their eyes Surely no. Ninthly Sometimes before the This truth many choice Christians have found by experience soul is deeply engaged in fore conflicts with Satan the Lord is graciously pleased to visit his people with his loving kindness and to give them some sweet assurance That though they are tempted yet they shall not be worsted though they are tried yet they shall be crowned though Satan doth roar as a Lyon upon the soul yet he shall not make a prey of the soul for the Lyon Revel 5. 5. John 10. 28. of the Tribe of Judah will hold it fast and none shall pluck it out of his hand God first fed Israel with Manna from Heaven and gave them water to Exâ—d 17. 8 c. drink out of the Rock before their fore fight with Amalek Before Paul 2 Cor. 12. 1. to 8. was buffetted by Satan he was caught up into the third Heaven where he had very glorious visions and revelations of the Lord even such as he was not able to utter Before Jesus Christ Matth. 3 ult was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan to question and doubt of his Son-ship he heard a voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am wel-pleased The Spirit of the Lord did first descend upon him as a Dove before Satan fell upon him as a Lyon God walks with his people some turns in paradise and gives them some tastes of his right-hand pleasures before Psal 16. ult Satan by his tempting shall do them a displeasure But I must hasten to a close of this Chapter and therefore Tenthly and lastly After some sharp conflicts with Satan God is graciously pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people and to warm and cheer their hearts with the beams of his love Matth. 4. 11. Then the Non tanquam misericordes indigenti sed tanquam subjecti om ipotenti Aug. Hom. 8. Devil leaveth him and behold Angels came and ministred unto him When Christ had even spent himself in soiling and quelling in resisting and scattering Satans temptations then the Angels come and minister cordials and comforts unto him So after Paul had 2 Cor. 12. 7 â—â— 10. been buffetted by Satan he heard that sweet word from Heaven My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made
descend upon him like a Dove and he shall hear a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well-pleased that so he may be strong in resisting and glorious in triumphing over all the assaults and temptations of Satan So many times at first conversion the Lord makes out sweet manifestations of his love to the soule that so the soule may stand fast and not give ground and in the sense of divine love may so manage the shield of faith as to quench all the fiery darts of the Devil The Lord knows that when hee sets upon the delivering of a poor soule from the Kingdome of darknesse and translating it into the Kingdome of his dear Sonne that Satan will roar and Col. 1. 13. rage rend and tear as he did him in Pharaoh in his furious and violent pursuing after Israel when he saw that God would bring them from under his power was a type of Satan Mark 9. 25 26. When Jesus saw that the people came ranning together hee rebuked the foule spirit saying unto him Thou dumb and deaf spirit I charge thee to come out of him and the spirit cryed and rent him sore and came out of him and he was as one dead in so much that many said He is dead No sooner did Jesus Christ look with an eye of love pity and compassion upon the Boy but the Devil in his rage and wrath The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to tear and rent as the dog doth falls a renting and tearing of him as mad dogs do those things they fasten upon This poor childe had never so sore a fit as now he was nearest the cure when rich Mercy and Glorious power is nearest the soul then Satan most storms and rages against the soul The more the Bowels of Christ do work towards a sinner the more furious will Satan assault that sinner Therefore Divine Wisdom and Goodness does the more eminently shine in giving the poor soul some sight of Canaan and some Bunches and Clusters of that Land upon its first coming out of the Wilderness of Sin and Sorrow But that no soul may mistake this last Proposition give me leave to premise these two Cautions First That God does manifest his Caut. 1. love onely to some at their first conversion not to all Though he dearly loves every penitent soul yet he does not manifest his love at first conversion to every penitent soul God is a free Agent to work where he will and when he will and to reveal his love how he will and when he will and to whom he will It is one thing for A man may enjoy the warmth and heat of the Sun when he cannot see the Sun so a man may have grace when he cannot see that he hath grace God to work a work of Grace upon the soul and another thing for God to shew the soul that work God oftentimes works Grace in a silent and secret way and takes sometimes five sometimes ten sometimes fifteen sometimes twenty years yea sometimes more before he will make a clear and satisfying report of his own work upon the soul Though our Graces be our best Jewels yet they are sometimes at first conversion so weak and imperfect that we are not able to see their lustre The being of Grace makes our estates safe and sure the seeing of Grace makes our lives sweet and comfortable The second Caution is this A man Caut. 2. I have conversed with several precious souls that have found this true by experience and upon this very ground have questioned all and strongly doubted whether they have not taken Satans delusions for divine manifestations may at first conversion have such a clear glorious manifestation of Gods love to him and of his interest in God and his right to glory that he may not have the like all his days after The fatted Calf is not every day slain the Robe of Kings is not every day put on every day must not be a Feastival day a Marriage day the wife is not every day in the bosom the childe is not every day in the arms the friend is not every day at the table nor the soul every day under the manifestations of Divine Love Jacob did not every day see the Angels ascending and descending Steven did not every day see the Heavens open and Christ standing on the right hand of God Paul was not every day caught up to Heaven nor John was not every day rapt up in the Spirit No Saint can every day cry out I have my Christ I have my Comfort I have my Assurance as the Persian King cryed out in his dream I have Themistocles I have Themistocles Job had his Job 30. 31. Harp turned into mourning and his Organ into the voice of them that weep The best of Saints are sometimes put to hang their Harps upon the Willows and Psal 137. 2. cry out Hath God forgotten to be gracious Psal 77. 7 8. 9. and will he be favorable no more The second special season or time wherein the Lord is pleased to give to his children a sweet assurance of his 2 Cor. 5. 14. favor and love and that is when he intends to put them upon some high and hard some difficult and dangerous service O then he gives them some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divine love hath a compulsive faculty it is very powerful to put the soul upon acting in the highest and hardest services for Christ sweet taste of Heaven before hand Now he smiles now he kisses now he embraces the soul now he takes a Saint by the hand now he causes his goodness and glory to pass before the soul now he opens his bosom to the soul now the soul shall be of his Court and Councel now the Clouds shall be scattered now it shall be no longer night with the soul now the soul shall sit no longer mourning in the valley of darkness now Christ will carry the soul up into the Mount and there reveal his glory to it that it may act high and brave noble and glorious in the face of difficulties and discouragements Christ did intend to Matth. 17. 1 2 3 4 5 6. put Peter James and John upon hard and difficult service and therefore brings them up into an high mountain and there gives them a vision of his Beauty and Glory there they see him transfigured metamorphosed or transformed there they see his face shining as the Sun and his Rayment glistering In the Mount he shews them such beams of his Deity such sparkling glory as did even amuse them and amaze them transport them and astonish them and all this Grace and Glory this Goodness and Sweetness Christ shews them to hearten and encourage them to own him and his truth to stand by him and truth to make him and his truth known to the world though hatred bonds and contempt did attend them in so doing
compleat satisfaction if thou wilt cast thy eye upon the particulars I doubt not but thou wilt finde that profit and content that will recompence More to that point I cannot easily say thee for thy pains And this I thought more convenient to hint to thee then to write over the same things that there thou wilt finde to thy delight and settlement The fifth Impediment to Assurance 5. Impediment is their grieving and vexing the Spirit of grace by not harkning to his voice Nil nisi sanctum a sanct◠spiritu prodire potest Nothing can come from the holy Spirit but that which is holy by refusing his counsel by stopping the ear by throwing water upon that fire he kindles in their souls and by attributing that to the Spirit that is to be attributed to mens own passions and distempers and to the Prince of Smoak drives away Bees and an ill savor drives away Doves Sin is such a smoak such an ill savor as drives away this Dove-like spirit darkness and his associates By these and such like ways they sad that precious Spirit that alone can glad them they set him a mourning that alone can set them a rejoycing they set him a grieving that alone can set them a singing and therefore it is that they sigh it out with Jeremiah Lam. 1. 16. Behold he that should comfort our souls stands afar off Ah doubting souls if ever you would have Assurance you must observe the motions of the Spirit and give up your selves to his guidance you must live by his Laws and tread in his steps you must live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit you must let him be chief in your souls This is the way to have him to be a sealing Spirit a witnessing Spirit and an assuring Spirit to your hearts Believe it souls if this be not done you will be far off from quietness and settlement The word that in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The soul will not quite leave wrangling till it be quiet in the bosom of Christ 1 John 3. 19. is rendred assure signifies to perswade to note to us that our hearts are very froward and peevish and apt to wrangle and raise objections against God against Christ against the Scripture against our own and others experiences and against the sweet hints and joyings of the Spirit and this they will do especially when we omit what the Spirit perswades us to omissions raises fears and doubts and makes work for Hell or for the Spirit and Physitian of souls or else when we do that which the Spirit disswades us from If you be kinde and obedient to the Spirit it will not be long night with your souls but if you rebel and vex him he will make your Isai 63. 10. life a hell by withholding his ordinary influences by denying to seal you to the day of redemption and by giving you up to conflict with horrors and terrors c. Therefore be at the Spirits beck and check and assurance and joy will ere long attend you The sixt Impediment to Assurance 6. Impediment is doubting souls making their Sense Reason and Feeling the judges of their Spiritual Conditions Now so long as they take this course they will never reach to Assurance Reasons arm is too short to reach this Jewel Assurance This Pearl of price is put into no hand but that hand of Faith that reaches from Earth to Heaven What tongue can express or heart conceive the fears the doubts the clouds the darkness the perplexities that will arise from the souls reasoning thus I finde not that the countenance Gen. 31. 5. of God is towards me as before therefore surely my condition is bad I feel not those warmings those quicknings those cheerings those meltings as before I am not sensible of those secret stirrings and actings of the Spirit and Grace in my soul as before I do not hear such good news from Heaven as before therefore certainly God is not my God I am not beloved I am not in the state of Grace I have but deceived my self and others and therefore the issue will be that I shall die in my sins c. To make Sense and Feeling the Judges of our Spiritual Conditions what is it but to make our selves happy and miserable righteous and unrighteous saved and damned in one day I in one hour when Sense and Reason sit as Judges upon the Bench Hath God made Sense and Feeling the Judges of your Conditions No. Why then will you Is your Reason Scripture is your Sense Scripture is your Feeling Scripture No. Why then will you make them Judges of your Spiritual Estate Is not the Word the Judge by which all men and their actions shall be judged at last The word that I have spoken John 12. 43. says Christ shall judge you in the last day To the Law and to the Testimony Isa 8. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light or no morning in them Why then O doubting souls will you make your Sense and Feeling the Judge not onely of your conditions but of the truth it self What is this but to dethrone God and to make a god of your Sense and Feeling What is this but to limit and binde up the Holy One of Israel What is this but to toss the soul to and fro and to expose it to a labyrinth of fears and scruples What is this but to cast a reproach upon Christ to gratifie Satan and to keep your selves upon the rack Well doubting souls the counsel that I shall give you is this Be much in believing and make only the Scripture the judge of your condition maintain the judgement Inclinavit Deus Scripturas ad infantium lactentium capacitatem saith one God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacity even of Babes and Sucklings Id agit tota Scriptura ut credamus Deum esse misericordem Luth. Psal 119. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Word against the judgement of Sense and Feeling and if upon a serious sincere and impartial comparing of thy heart and the Word together of thy ways and the Word together the Word speaks thee out to be sincere to be a Nathanael to be a new Creature to be born again to have an immortal seed in thee c. Cleave to the Testimony of the Word joy in it rest upon it and give no more way to Fears and Doubts Let thy countenance be no more sad for nothing can speak or make that soul miserable that the Word speaks out to be happy Constantine would have all differences and disputes in the Nicene Councel ended by the Bible O doubting souls look cheerfully to this That all differences and controversies that arise in your hearts be ended by the Word there is danger in looking beside the Scripture or beyond the Scripture or short of the Scripture or upon sense
Rom. 8. John 14. he is the great Comforter and the onely Sealer up of souls to the day of Redemption If you set him a mourning Eph. 1. 13. by your wilful sinnings that alone can glad you by whom will you be gladed Verily Christians when you turn your back upon the Spirit he will not turn his face upon your souls your vexing of the Spirit will Isai 63. 10. be but the disquieting of your selves Look as all lights cannot make up the want of the light of the Sun so all Creatures cannot make up the want of the testimony of the Spirit Let me speak to you as God once spake to his people in that of Exod. 23. 20 21 This Angel is the Lord Jesus as Expositors do generally agree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 22 23. Behold sayes God I send an Angel before thee to keep thee in thy way and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared Beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will Malachi which Hebrew word is here rendered Angel is by transposition of letters Michael as some of the Rabbins have observed not pardon your transgressions for my name is in him â— So I say Behold the Spirit of the Lord that is your guide and guard he also is onely able to make a soul satisfying report of the love and favor of the Father to you therefore as ever you would have assurance beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for if you do by wilful transgressions he will neither comfort you nor counsel you he will neither be a sealing nor a witnessing spirit unto you nay he will raise storms and tempests in your souls he will present to you the Father frowning and your Saviour bleeding and himself as grieving and these sights will certainly rack and torture your doubting souls The Spirit of the Lord is a delicate thing a holy thing a blessed guest that makes every soul happy where he lodges Therefore Epâ—es 4. 30. This phrase is Tropically to be understood The Greek cannot be fully exprest in our tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. The Spirit the holy of that God To shew the transcendent excellency and glory of the Holy Spirit grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption You will not grieve your guests your friends but courteously and friendly entertain them Why then do you make so little conscience of grieving that holy Spirit that alone can stamp the Image of the Father upon you and seal you up to life and glory Ah Christians the way to assurance is Not to sit down sighing and complaining of the want of assurance but it lies in your eying of the Spirit in your complying with the Spirit in your cleaving to the Spirit in your following of the Spirit in your welcoming of the Spirit and in your honoring and obeying of the Spirit As he said of the sword of Galiah none like to that So I say no mans like to this to gain a wel-grounded Assurance of a mans Happiness and Blessedness And as he said If there be any way to Heaven on horse-back it is by Prayer So I say If there be any way in the world to assurance it is by being fearful to offend and careful to please the Spirit of the Lord whose office it is to witness to poor souls the remission of their sins and the salvation of their souls Fourthly If you would obtain Assurance Means 4. then be sincere be diligent and constant in assuring Ordinances He that will meet the King must wait Isai 64. 5. Revel 2. 1. on him in his walks Christs Ordinances are Christs walks and he that would see the beauty of Christ and taste of the sweetness of Christ and be ravished with the love of Christ must wait at Wisdoms door they Prov. 8. 34 35. must attend Christ in his own appointments and institutions that comfort and assurance that flowes not in thorow the Golden Pipes of the Sanctuary Hos 6. 4. 1 Pet. 1. 24. will not better the soul nor long abide with the soul it will be as the morning dew and as the flower of the field that soon fadeth away I have in the former Discourse shewed at large How the Lord is graciously pleased to cause his love and glory to beam forth upon souls in Ordinances and therefore I shall say no more unto this particular at this time The fifth Means to obtain Assurance Means 5. is wisely and seriously to observe What gift of God there is in thee that brings thee within the compass of the promises of eternal mercy Now let the gift be this or that if it be a gift that brings thee within the compass of the promise of Eternal Mercy that gift is an infallible evidence of thy Salvation For the better and further opening of this Truth premise with me these two things First No man can have any sure evidence to himself of his Happiness and Blessedness from absolute promises Absolute promises do not describe to whom Salvation and all Eternal Isai 42. 6. 49. 8. Joel 2. 28. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Jere. 32. 40. Heb. 8 10 11 12. Isai 23. 25. Blessings do belong the promise of giving Christ of giving the Spirit of giving a new heart and of pardoning and blotting out sin are all absolute promises Now God is free to make good these to whom he pleases therefore he often steps over the rich and chuses the poor the learned and chuses the ignorant the 1 Cor. 1. 25 26 27 28 29. strong and chuses the weak the noble and chuses the ignoble the sweet nature and chuses the rugged nature c. That no flesh may glory and that all may shout out Grace Grace Secondly Though no man can have any sure evidence of his Happiness and Blessedness from absolute promises because absolute promises do not describe the persons to whom Salvation and all Eternal Blessings do belong yet absolute promises are of most choice and singular use First In that they discover to us that our Salvation is onely from Free-grace and not from any thing in us or done by us Secondly They are a most sure and glorious foundation for the very worst of sinners to stay their filthy guilty wearied burdened perplexed souls upon seeing that God looks not for any peny or peniworth for Isai 55. 1 2. any portion or proportion in the Creature to draw his love but he will justifie pardon and save for his Name sake seeing all the Motives that moves God to shew mercy are in his Deut. 7. 7 8. Psal 68. 18 own bosom seeing they are all within doors there is no reason why the vilest of sinners should sit down and say There is no hope there is no help Thirdly Absolute promises may and doubtless often are choice Cordials to many precious souls who happily have lost the
acceptable to God as they are tendered to him by a hand of Faith Augustus when a poor man came to present a Petition to him with his hand shaking and trembling out of fear the Emperor was much displeased and said It is not fit that any should come with a Petition to a King as if a man were giving meat to an Elephant that is afraid to be destroyed by him Verily Iehovah loves to see every one of his Petitioners to come to him with a stedfast Faith and not with a trembling Hand Christ gets most glory and the Soul gets most good by those Prayers that are accompanied with the actings of Faith Thirdly To pray in a right manner is to pray intensly servently earnestly So Jam. 5. 16. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is an omniporent grace it works wonders in Heaven in the Heart and in Earth Such working-prayer as sets all the faculties of the soul and all the graces in the soul at work alwayes speeds it fails not of winning the day of carrying the Crown or as the Greek hath it The working Prayer that is such Prayer as sets the whole man a work the word signifies such a working as notes the liveliest activity that can be As Physick kills the body if it work not so doth Prayer the soul if it be not a working-prayer As a painted fire is no fire a dead man no man so a cold prayer is no prayer In a painted fire there is no heat in a dead man there is no life so in a cold prayer there is no omnipotency no devotion no blessing It is not cold but working-prayer that can lock up Heaven three years and open Heavens gate at pleasure and bring down the sweetest blessings upon our heads and the choicest favors into our hearts Cold Prayers are as Arrows without heads as Swords without edges as Birds without wings they peirce not they cut not they flie not up to Heaven Cold Prayers do always freeze before they reach to Heaven So Jacob was earnest in his wrestling with God Let Gen. 32. 24 25 26 27. me alone sayes God I will not let thee go except thou bless me sayes Jacob. Jacob though lamed and hard laid at will not let the Lord go without a blessing Jacob holds with his hands when his joynts were out of joynt and so as a Prince prevails with God Jacob prayes and weeps and weeps The Jews have a saying That since the destruction of Jerusalem the door of prayers hath been shut But the door of tears was never shut saith One. and prayes and so prevails with God Hos 12. 4. Yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him c. It is not the labor of the lips but the travel of the heart it is not the pouring forth a flood of words but the pouring out of the soul that makes a man a Prince a prevailer with God A man that would gain victory over God in Prayer must strain every string of his heart he Rom 15. 30. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to strive to the shedding of blood Luke 18. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Buffet me or beat me down with her blows as wrestlers beat down their adveâ—saries with their fists or clubs must in beseeching God besiedge him and so get the better of him he must strive in Prayer even to an agony he must be like importunate beggars that will not be put off with frowns or silence or sad answers Those that would be masters of their requests must with the importunate Widow press God so far as to put him to the blush they must with a holy impudence as Basil speaks make God ashamed to look them in the face if he should deny the importunity of their souls An importunate soul will never cease till he speed he will devour all discouragements yea he will turn discouragements into incouragements as the woman of Canaan did till Christ sayes Be it unto thee O Soul as thou wilt As a body without a soul much wood without fire a bullet in a gun without powder so are words in Prayer Oratio brevis penetrat câ—lum saith one without fervency of Spirit The hotest Springs send forth their waters by ebullitions I have read of one who being sensible of his own dulness and coldness in Prayer chid himself thus What The Jews write upon the walls of their Synagogues this sentence That Prayer without the intention of the minde is but as a body without a soul You know how to apply it doest thou think that Ionah prayed thus when he was in the belly of Hell or Daniel when he was in the Lyons den or the Thief when he was upon the cross And I may adde or the three Children when they were in the fiery furnace or the Apostles when they were in bonds and prisons O that Christians would chide themselves out of their cold Prayers and chide themselves into a better and a warmer frame of spirit when they make their Supplications before the Jerom speaks of certain holy women in his time That they seemed in their fervent affections to joyn with the holy company of Heaven Lord. An importunate Soul in Prayer is like the poor begger that prayes and knocks that prayes and waits that prayes and works that knocks and knits that begs and patches and will not stir from the door till he hath an alms And verily he that is good at this will not be long a begger in grace God will make his heart and his cup to overflow Fourthly To pray in a right manner is To pray aâ—â—iduously constantly as well as fervently Luke 18. 1. And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought alwayes to pray and not so faint or as it is in the Greek not to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est non deâ—atigati Cornel a Lap. To pray alwayes is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pray in every opportunity shriâ—k back as sluggards in work or cowards in war Now men pray always first when their hearts are always prepared to pray or in a praying frame Secondly When they do not omit the duty when it is to be performed or when they take hold on every opportunity to pour out their souls before the Lord. 1 Thes 5. 17. Pray without ceasing A man must always pray habitually though not actually he must have his heart in a praying disposition Semper orat qui benè sâ—mpeâ— agit To pray always is to pray omni tempore in all estates and conditions in prosperity and adversity in health and sickness in strength and weakness in wealth and wants in life and death So in Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Our daily weaknesses our daily wants
and so it makes a Christian to stand and triumph over all afflictions oppositions and temptations A third property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It makes the Soul lively and active Psal 119. 166. Lord I have hoped for thy salvation and done thy commandments Hope puts the Soul upon doing upon obeying 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant or much mercy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Much. hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead It is called a lively hope A mans duties and services usually are as his hopes are if his hopes are weak and low so will his services be but if his hopes are spiritual noble and high so will his motions and actions be Divine hope makes Saints as far excel all other men in their actings as the Angels do excel them Some say hope and fasting are the two wings of Prayer fasting is but as the wing of a bird but hope is as the wing of an Angel bearing our prayers to the throne of Grace because it brings life and comfort into the Soul and it is called a lively hope in opposition to the withering and dying hopes of Hypocrites and wicked men and it is called a lively hope because it flows from lively causes viz. The Spirit of Christ and the Souls union and communion with Christ but mainly it is called a lively hope because it puts the Soul upon lively endeavors Hope will make a man pray as for life hear as for life and mourn as for life and obey as for life and work and walk as for life Hope will not say this work is too hard and that work is too hot this work is too high and the other work is too low Hope will make a man put his hand to every work Hope makes a man more motion then notion it makes a man better at doing then at saying c. Hope gives life and strength to all religious duties and services 1 Cor. 9. 10. He that plougheth should plough in hope and he that thresheth in hope shall be partaker of his hope Hope will put a Christian upon ploughing and threshing that is upon the hardest and difficultest services for God and his glory If fleshly Fleshly hopes put the Romans upon doing very strange and wonderful exploits as you may see in Plutarch and other Historians hopes of gaining the honors riches and favors of this world made Absolom Ahitophel Jehu Haman and many Heathens full of life and activity full of motion and action Verily holy and heavenly hopes will make men much more lively and active by how much heavenly hopes are more excellent then earthly A man full of hope will be full of action a lively hope and a diligently hand are inseparable companions Hope will make a man do though he dies for doing A fourth property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will make a man sit Noah like quiet and still in the midst of all storms and tempests in the midst of all combustions concussions and mutations when others are at their wits end then hope will house the Soul and lodge it safe and quiet in the bosom of God Job 11. 18. And thou shalt be secure because there is hope yea thou shalt dig about thee and thou shalt take thy rest in safety The Hebrew word that is here rendred rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To rest as men rest in their beds or as the body rests in the grave is from a root that signifies to rest and sleep quietly as in ones bed Hope will bring the Soul to bed safely and sweetly in the darkest night in the longest storm and in the greatest tempest Heb. 6. 19. Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast and which entreth into that within the veil Hope is that Anchor of the Soul that keeps it quiet and still in all storms and tempests it keeps the soul from dashing Chrysostome saith that hope is not onely the Anchor but the Ship to that good Anchor upon the Rocks and from being swallowed up in the Sands Hope is an Anchor that is fastned above not below in Heaven not in Earth within the veil not without therefore the ship the Soul of a Believer must needs be safe and secure That ship will never be split upon the Rocks Hypoerites in stormy times are like ships without Anchors â—ost up and down with every wave and in danger of being split upon every Rock Job 27. 9 10. whose Anchor is in Heaven Hope enters within the veil and takes fast Anchor-hold on God himself and therefore blow high blow low rain or shine the soul of a Saint is safe Divine hope settles the heart he that cannot look for more then he hath can never be settled nor satisfied our best and greatest estate lies in invisibles our perfect and compleat estate here lies not in re but in spe it lies not in what we have in possession but in what we have in expectation in reversion A fift property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will work the Soul to a quiet and patient Patience is nothing else but Hope spun out If you would lengthen Patience be sure to strenthen Hope waiting upon God for mercy though God should delay the giving in of mercy Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it Psal 130. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning I say more then they that watch for the morning Hope will make a man wait yea wait long for a mercy as it did Abraham Rom. 4. 18 19 20 21. Though the vision stay yet hope will Hab. 2. 1 2 3. Heb. 10. 36 37. Hopes Motto is Quod defertur non aufertur For bearâ—nce is no acquittance wait for it yet a little little while sayes hope and he that shall come will come and will not tarry The longer I wait for a mercy the greater better and sweeter at last the mercy will prove sayes Hope It is not mercy if it be not worth a waiting for sayes Hope and if it be mercy thou canst not wait too long for it sayes Hope The men of Bethulia resolved to wait upon God but five dayes longer but Deliverance stayed seven dayes and yet came at last So sayes Hope Pittacus one of the seven Sages used to say A wise man must recover that by patience which force cannot command though Deliverance stay though this and that mercy stayes as it were in the birth yet it will come at last therefore wait Hope is not hasty in prefixing the time when God shall shew mercy neither will it
HEAVEN ON EARTH OR A Serious Discourse touching a wel-grounded ASSURANCE of Mens Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Discovering the Nature of Assurance the possibility of attaining it the Causes Springs and Degrees of it with the resolution of several weighty Questions By THOMAS BROOKS Preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full Assurance of understanding Col. 2. 2. Qui fidei suae sensum in corde habet hic scit Christum Iesum in se esse Ambros 2 ad Corinth c. 13. 5. London Printed by R. I. for John Hancock and are to be sold at the first Shop in Popes-head Alley in Corn-hill 1654. Mr. Brooks on Assurance To the Right Honorable The Generals of the Fleets OF THE Commonwealth of England And to those Gallant Worthies my much Honored Friends who with the Noble Generals have deeply jeoparded their Lives unto many deaths upon the Seas out of love to their Countreys good and out of respect to the Interest of Christ and the faithful people of this Commonwealth Such Honor and Happiness as is promised to all that Love and Honor the Lord Jesus Renowned Sirs THe better any thing is the more communicative it will be for bonum est sui communicativum There are two sorts of goods â—here are Bona Throni and there are Bona Scabelli Goods of the Throne as God Christ Grace Assurance c. Nihil bonum sine summo bono Aug Nothing is good without the chiefest good Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good And Goods of the Foot-stool as Honors Riches c. A man may have enough of the goods of the Footstool to sink him but he can never have enough to satisfie him Mans Happiness and Blessedness his Felicity and Glory lies in his possessing the Goods of the Throne which that you may I humbly desire you seriously to view over the ensuing Treatise It was an excellent saying of Lew is of Bavyer Emperor of Germany Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent Such goods are worth getting and owning as will not sink nor wash away if a shipwrack happen but will wade and swim out with us Such are the goods that are here presented in this following Discourse in all storms tempests and shipwracks they will abide with the Soul they will walk and lie down with the Soul yea they will to the Grave to Heaven with the Soul they will in the greatest storms be an Ark to the Soul I have observed in some A Philosopher could say in dâ—nger of shipwrack in a ligh starry night Surely I shall not perish there are so many eyes of providence â—ver me But these had neither so much faith nor courage these men of might had lost their hands and hearts Psa 76. 5. vide terrible storms that I have been in that the Mariners and the Passengers want of Assurance and of those other Pearls of price that in this Treatise are prepresented to publick view hath caused their countenance to change their hearts to melt it hath made them to stagger and reel to and fro like drunken men like men at their wits ends whereas others that have had Assurance and their pardon in their bosoms c. have bore up bravely and slept quietly and walkt cheerfully and practically have said as Alexander once did when he was in a great danger Now saith he here is a danger fit for the spirit of Alexander to encounter withal so they now here are storms and dangers fit for assured pardoned Souls to encounter withal c. Gentlemen This following Discourse I do not present to you as a thing that needs your protection for Veritas stat in aperto campo truth stands in the open Fields I and it will make the lovers of it to stand triumph and overcome Magna est veritas valebit Great is truth and shall prevail but upon these following grounds I tender it to you First You have honored the Almighty by helping him against the high and mighty and he hath honored you by owning of you by standing by 1 Sam. 2. 30. As it was saâ—d of Caesâ—r that while here stored the Statue of Pompey he estabâ—ished his own so while men honor God they preserve their own you by acting for you and by making of you prosperous and victorious over a near enemy a powerful enemy an enraged enemy a resolved enemy a subtil enemy a prepared enemy a lofty enemy and therefore I cannot but desire to honor you by dedicating the following Treatise to the service of your Souls Secondly Because you are my Magnes amoâ—is amor Love is the loadâ—â—oâ—e of love and therefore he said right Si vis ama i ama if thâ—n wilt love thou shalt be loved Friends and that cordial love and friendship which I have found from you hath stampt in my affections a very high valuation of you The Ancients painted Friendship a fair yong man bare headed in a poor garment at the bottom whereof was written Life and Death in the upper part Summer and Winter his bosom was open so that his heart might be seen whereupon was written longè propè a Friend at hand and a far off Verily your undeserved love and respects have made me willing to open my bosom to you in this Epistle and in the following Treatise as to Friends that I love and honor When one came to Alexander and desired him that he might see his Treasure he bid one of his servants take him and shew him not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Money but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Friends It seems he put a higher value Secrates preferred the Kings countenance above his coyn upon them then he did upon all the wealth which he had Faithful Friends are an unvaluable Treasure and the rarity of them doth much inhaunce the price of them Thirdly Because of its exceeding usefulness and suitableness to your conditions I have been some years at Sea and through Grace I can say that I would not exchange my Sea Experiences Psal 107. 24. It is between Christian and Christian as between two Lute strings that are tuned one to another no sooner one is struck but the other trembles for Englands Riches I am not altogether ignorant of the troubles trials temptations dangers and deaths that do attend you And therefore I have been the more stirred in my spirit to present the following Discourse to you wherein is discovered the nature of Assurance the possibility of attaining Assurance the causes springs degrees excellencies and properties of Assurance also the special seasons and times of Gods giving Assurance with the resolution of several weighty Questions touching Assurance further in this Treatise as in a glass you may see these ten special things clearly and fully opened and manifested 1. What Knowledge that is that accompanies Salvation
2. What Faith that is that accompanies Salvation 3. What Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation 4. What Obedience that is that accompanies Salvation 5. What Love that is that accompanies Salvation 6. What Prayer that is that accompanies Salvation 7. What Perseverance that is that accompanies 8. What Hope that is that accompanies Salvation 9. The difference between true Assurance and that which is counterfeit 10. The wide difference there is between the witness of the Spirit and the hissing of the old Serpent Gentlemen and Friends you have Say with that famous Painter Zeuxâ—s Aeternitati pingo I paint for eternity I provide for eternity Eternity is that unum perpetuum bodie that one perpetual day your lives in your hands there is but a short step between you and eternity I would fain have you all happy for ever to that purpose I humbly beseech you spare so much time from your many great and weighty occasions as to read this Treatise that in all humility I lay at your feet and follow this counsel that in all love and faithfulness I shall now give unto you For my design in all is your happiness here and your blessednesse hereafter First Get and keep Communion Communion with God will make a man as couragious and bold as a Lion yea as a young Lyon that is in his hot blood and fearless of any creature Prov. 28. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now the proverb is Tutiores Câ—rvi duce Leone quam Leones duce Cervo it is more likely that Harts will get victory with a â—yon to their leader then Lyons with a leading Hart Joshua Captain of the Lords battles must be of a Lyon like courage and what wil make them so but communion with God It was the saying of the old Earl of Essex That he was never afraid to fight but when he was conscious of some sin with which he had provoked God and left communion with God with God your strength to stand and your strength to withstand all assaults is from your Communion with God Communion with God is that that will make you stand fast and triumph over all enemies difficulties dangers and deaths While Sampson kept his Communion with God no enemy could stand before him he goes on conquering and to conquer he laies heapes upon heaps but when he was fallen in his Communion with God he fals presently easily and sadly before his enemies So long as David kept up his Communion with God no enemies could stand before him but when he was fallen in his Communion with God he flies before the son of his bowels Job keeps up his Communion with God conquers Satan upon the Dunghil Adam loses his Communion with God and fals before Satan in Paradise Communion is the result of Union Communion is a reciprocall exchange between Christ and a gracious Soule Communion is Jacobs Ladder where you have Christ sweetly descending down into the Soul and the soule by divine influences sweetly ascending up to Christ Communion with God is a Sheild upon Land and an Anchor at Sea it is a sword to defend you and a staff to support you it is balm to heale you and a cordiall to strengthen you high Communion with Christ wil yeeld you two heavens a heaven upon earth and a heaven after death He injoyes nothing that wants Communion with God he wants nothing that injoys communion with God therefore above all gettings get Communion with Christ and above all keepings keep Communion with Christ all other losses are not comparable to the losse of Communion with Christ he that hath lost his Communion hath lost his Comfort his strength his all and it will not be long before the Philistims take him and put out his eyes and bind him with fetters of brass and make him grind in a prison as they did Sampson Judg. 16. 20 21. Secondly Make a speedy and a thorow Bonus servatius facit bonum bonifacium improvement of all opportunities of grace and mercy sleep not in Harvest time trifle not away your Market hours your golden seasons you have much work to do in a short time you have Petrach telleth of one who being invited to dinner the next day answered Ego à multis aâ—nis crastinum non habui I have not had a morrow for this many years a God to honor a Christ to rest on a Race to run a Crown to win a Hell to escape a Heaven to obtaine you have weak Graces to strengthen and strong Corruptions to weaken you have many Temptations to withstand and Afflictions to bear you have many Mercies to improve and many Services to perform c. Therefore take hold on all opportunities and advantages whereby you may be strengthened and bettered in your noble Heb. 3-7 8 A man faith Luther lives forty years before he knows himself a fool and by that time he sees his folly his life is ended c. part Take heed of crying cras cras tomorrow tomorrow when God saith to day if you will hear my voyce harden not your hearts Manna must be gathered in the morning and the orient pearle is generated of the morning dew It is a very sad thing for a man to begin to die before he begins to live He that neglects a golden opportunity doth but create to himself a great deal of misery as Saul and many others have found by sad experience He that would to the purpose do a good action must not neglect his season The men of Issachar were 1 Chron. 12. 32 famous in Davids account for wisdom because they acted seasonably and opportunely God will repute and write that man a wise man who knows and observes his seasons of doing Such there have been who by giving a glasse of water opportunely have obtained a Kingdom as you may see in the story of Thaumastus and King Agrippa Bernard Time saith one were a good commodity It was the commendations of blessed Hooper that he was spare of diet sparer of words and sparest of time in hell and the traffick of it most gainful where for one day a man would give ten thousand worlds if he had them One passing thorow the streets of Rome and seeing many of the women playing and delighting themselves with Monkies and Baboons and such like things asked whether they had no children to play and delight themselves with So when men triffle away their precious time and golden opportunities playing and toying with this vanity and that we may ask whether these men have no God no Christ no Scripture no Promises no Blessed Experiences no hopes of Heavens glories to delight and entertain themselves with Certainly we should not reckon any time into the account of our lives but that which we carefully pass and well spend seeing the Heathen could say Diu fuit non diu vixit He was long Dâ—mascen he did not live long I have read of one Blessed Bradford the Martyr
not been soundly prest thereunto of the Reasons that have prevailed with me to publish this Treatise to the World and to dedicate it to your selves Let your hearts dwell on Truth as the Bee doth upon the Flower every Truth being a Flower of Paradise that is more worth then a World Now the God of all Grace fill your Hearts and Souls with all the Fruits of Righteousness and Holiness that you may attain unto a full Assurance of your Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness which that you may is the sincere earnest and constant desire of him who is Your Souls Servant Thomas Brooks THE PREFACE touching the nature of Assurance TO be in a state of true Grace is to be miserable no more it Psal 144. 15. Mal. 3. 17. Rom. 8. 16 17. is to be happy for ever A Soul in this state is a Soul near and dear to God it is a Soul much beloved and very highly valued of God it is a Soul housed in God it is a Soul safe in everlasting Arms Deut. 33. 26 27. 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. it is a Soul fully and eminently interested in all the highest and noblest Priviledges The being A man may be Gods and yet not know it his estate may be good and yet he not see it Ephes 1. 13. 1 John 5. 13. Gal 4. 6. in a state of Grace makes a mans condition happy safe and sure but the seeing the knowing of himself to be in such a state is that which renders his life sweet and comfortable The being in a state of Grace will yeeld a man a Heaven hereafter but the seeing of himself in this state will yeeld him both a Heaven here and a Heaven hereafter it will render him doubly blest blest in Heaven and blest in his own Conscience Now Assurance is a reflex act of a gracious Soul whereby he clearly and evidently sees himself in a gracious blessed and happy state it is a sensible feeling and an experimental discerning of a mans being in a state of Grace and of his having a right to a Crown of Glory and this rises from the seeing A man cannot see the Sun but by the light of the Sun in himself the special peculiar and distinguishing Graces of Christ in the light of the Spirit of Christ or from the testimony and report of the Spirit of God the Spirit bearing witness with his Spirit that Rom. 8. 16 17. he is a Son and an Heir apparent to Glory It is one thing for me to have It is one thing to be an Heir and another thing to know that one is an Heir the childe in the Womb or in the Arms may be an Heir to a Crown and yet understands it not Grace it is another thing for me to see my Grace it is one thing for me to believe and another thing for me to believe that I do believe it is one thing for me to have Faith and another thing for me to know that I have Faith Now Assurance flows from a clear certain evident knowledge that I have Grace and that I do believe c. Now this Assurance is the beauty and top of a Christians glory in this life it is usually attended with the strongest joy with the sweetest comforts and with the greatest peace It is a Pearl that most want a Crown that few wear His state is safe and happy whose Soul is adorned with Grace though he sees it not though he knows it not Assurance is not of the essence of a Christian it is required to the bene esse to the wel-being to the comfortable and joyful Being of a Christian but it is not required to the esse to the being of a Christian A man may be a true Believer and yet would give all the World were it in his power to know that he is a Believer to have Grace and to be sure that we have Grace is glory upon the Throne it is Heaven a this side Heaven But more of these things you will finde in the following Discourse to which I refer you THE CONTENTS THe Preface touching the Nature of Assurance CHAP. I. PRoving by Ten Arguments that Persons may in this life attain to a wel-grounded Assurance of their Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Page 1 to 30 This truth improved against Papists and Arminians P. 30. to p. 35. CHAP. II. COntaining several weighty Propositions about Assurance P. 35. to p. 77 Further in this Chapter is shewed Ten special Seasons and Times wherein the Lord is pleased to give to his people a sweet Assurance of his favor and love p. 77. to p. 155 CHAP. III. COntaining Ten Hinderances and Impediments that keep poor Souls from Assurance with the means and helps to remove those Impediments and Hinderances p. 155. to p. 207 Further in this Chapter is laid down Six Motives to provoke Christians to put out all their strength and might against bosom sins against the iniquity of their heels against the sins that do so easily beset them p. 207. to p. 218 Also Five Means to help on the Mortification and Destruction of bosom sins p. 218. to p. 224 CHAP. IV. COntaining Ten Motives or Incentives to provoke all that want Assurance to be restless in their spirits till they have obtained it p. 225. to p. 251 Also in this Chapter you have Ten Advantages that will redound to such Souls that get a wel-grounded Assurance of their Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness p. 251. to p. 270 CHAP. V. SHewing Nine Ways and Means of gaining a wel-grounded Assurance c. In the handling of which several considerable Questions are also resolved p. 272 to p. 320 Also in this Chapter Eight special things are discovered As first What knowledge that is that doth accompany Salvation p. 320. to p. 362 Secondly What Faith that is that accompanies Salvation that borders upon Salvation p. 362 to p. 399 Also several Hints are given both concerning strong and weak Faith p. 399 to p. 405 Thirdly What Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation p. 405. to p. 424 Fourthly What Obedience that is that accompanies Salvation p. 424. to p. 445 Fifthly What Love that is that accompanies Salvation p. 445. to p. 460 Fourteen wayes whereby that love that accompanies Salvation doth display and manifest it self p. 460. to p. 487 Sixthly What Prayer that is that doth accompany Salvation p. 487 to p. 504 Eight Differences betwixt the Prayers of Souls in Christ and Souls out of Christ betwixt the Prayers of Believers and Unbelievers p. 504 to p. 516 Seventhly What Perseverance that is that doth accompany Salvation p. 516 to p. 522 Eighthly What Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation p. 522 to p. 544 Two Cautions upon the whole p. 544 545 CHAP. VI. SHewing Eight notable Differences between a true and a counterfeit Assurance c. p. 546 to p. 565 Also in this Chapter is set forth in Nine special things the difference between the Whisperings of the
Holy Spirit and the Hissings of the old Serpent c. p. 565. to p. 578 CHAP. VII COntaining Answers to several special Questions about Assurance As first How those should strengthen and maintain their Assurance that have obtained it c. This Question is answered Nine ways p. 579. to p. 589 The second Question is How such sad Souls may be supported from fainting and languishing that have lost that sweet and blessed Assurance that once they had Six Answers are given to the Question p. 589 to p. 597 The third Question is How such Souls may recover Assurance who once had it but have now lost it Five Answers given to this Question p. 597. to p. 602 Some Uses of the Point from p. 603 â—o the end THe greatest thing that we can desire next the glory of God is our own Salvation and the sweetest thing we can desire is the Assurance of our Salvation In this life we cannot get higher then to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed All Saints shall enjoy a Heaven when they leave this Earth Some Saints enjoy a Heaven while they are here on Earth That Saints might enjoy Two Heavens is the project of this Book that this project may be published and by a Blessing from the Third Heaven prospered The Book is Licensed by Joseph Caryl The nineth of the first Mneth commonly called March 1653. A Serious Discourse touching A Well-grounded Assurance CHAP. I. Shewing that beleevers may in this life attain unto a Well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happiness and blessedness FIrst The ground on which the Apostle Paul builds his Assurance is not any special Revelation but such a foundation as is common to all Beleevers as cleerly appears in that Rom. 8. 32 33 34. Hee that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered Rom. 8. 32 33 34. him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us It is cleer from these words that this blessed Apostle Immediate Revelations are fleeting inconstant and therefore men had need be carefull how they build upon them had not that glorious Assurance that he speaks of in the two last verses of this Chapter by immediate Revelation for he concludes it from such arguments as are generall or common to all the godly and therefore it roundly follows that beleevers may in this life attain unto a Well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse So Hezekiahs assurance did spring from a principle that is common to all beleevers 2 King 20. 3. Ergo. Secondly It is the very scope and end of the Scripture to help beleevers to a well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse These things saith John have I written unto you that beleeve on the name 1 Joh 5. 13. of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee have eternal life These precious T it 1. 2. soules did beleeve and they had eternal life in respect of the promise of eternal life and in respect Eph. 2. 6. of Christ their head who had taken up their roomes aforehand in heaven and who as a publick person Surely glory is nothing else but a bright constellation of grace happinesse is nothing but the quintessence of holinessâ— doth represent all his people and they had eternal life in respect of the beginnings of it for what is grace but glory begun and what is glory but grace perfected Grace is Glory in the bud and Glory is Grace at the full Now though they had eternal life in all these respects yet they did not know it though they did beleeve yet they did not beleeve that they did beleeve therefore the Apostle in those precious Epistles of his doth make it his businesse by variety and plenty of arguments to helpe all but especially such as are weak in the faith to a Well-grounded Assurance of their eternal welfare It is the very drift and design of the Gregory calls the Scripture Cor animam Dei the heart and soule of God whole Scripture to bring souls first to an acquaintance with Christ and then to an acceptance of Christ and then to build them up in a sweet assurance of their actual interest in Christ which made Luther to say That hee would not live in Paradise if he might without the word but with the word he could live in hell it selfe Adoro plenitudinem Scripturarum I adore the fulnesse of the Scripture Tertul No Histories are comparable to the Histories of the Scripture First For Antiquity Secondly For Rarity Thirdly For Variety Fourthly For Brevity Fifthly For Perspicuity Sixtly For Harmony And seventhly For Verity The Word evidences truth it evinces falshood it fights against folly it opens the bowels of mercy and it assures beleeving soules of eternal felicity That is a precious word Heb. 6. 18. Assurance produces such strong consolations as swallows up all worldly griefs As Moses Serpent did the Sorcerers Serpents or as the fire doth the fuel in that Heb. 6. 18. God hath given us his word his oath his seale that our consolation may be strong and that our salvation may bee sure Now what comfort can a beleever have without Assurance It is the assurance of my interest in the land of Canaan in Gospel cordials in precious promises and in a precious Christ that comforts and delights my soul It is not enough to raise strong consolation in my soul barely to know that there are Mines of gold mountaines of pearle heaps of treasures a land flowing with milke and honey but it is the knowledge of my interest in these that raises joy in my soule To know that there are such things and that I have no interest in them is rather a vexation Non in honorum cognitione sed fruitione then a consolation to me To know that there is a feast of choisest Delicates but not a taste for me that there are pleasant fountaines and streames but I must perish for thirst in a wildernesse to know that there are royall Robes for such and such but I must dye in my rags to know that there is a pardon for such and such but I must be turned off the ladder of life to know that there is preferment for such and such but I must still lie with Lazarus at Dives doore such knowledge as this may well adde to my vexation but it will not adde to my consolation It was rather matter of sorrow then joy to the men Spira cryed our Christ is to me a grief a torment because I despised him I rejected him and I have no part in him of the old world to know that there was an Arke when
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to know certainly we are as certain of it as we are certain that we live that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren hee that loveth not his brother abideth in death The Apostle doth not say we thinke we hope c. that we are translated from death to life but we know that we are translated from death to life because we love the brethren Love to the brethren is not the cause of our passing from death to life that is from a natural state to a spiritual state from hell to heaven but an evidence thereof I confesse it is very sad to consider how this precious stream of love is even dried up in many It was wont to be a Proverb Homo homini Deus One man is a God to another But now it may bee truly said Homo homini Daemon One man is a Or Homo homini Leo one man is a Lion to another Devil to another Hee that wants love to his brethren wants one of the sweetest springs from whence Assurance flowes A greater hell I would not wish any man then to live and not to love the beloved of God Now is it not as easie a thing as it is pleasant for a man that hath severall sweet Springs in his Garden to sit Joh. 4. 14. down draw water and drinke O beleeving souls there are Springs there are Wels of living water not only near Gen. 21. 15. to the 19. ver you but in you why then doe you with Hagar sit down sorrowing and weeping when you should be a tasting or a drinking not only of the springs above you but also of the springs within you A man that hath Gal. 5. 22 23 fruit in his Garden may both delight his eye and refresh his spirit with tasting of it certainly we may both eye and taste the fruits of the Spirit in us they being the first fruits of eternall life I thinke none but mad souls will say that grace is that forbidden fruit that God would have us neither Col. 1 27 Solomons Song 1. 5. Solomons Song 4. 7. Psal 45. 13. see nor taste we ought not so to minde a Christ in heaven as not to minde Christ in us the hope of glory Christ would not have his Spouse so to minde her owne blacknesse as to forget that she is all faire and glorious within Sixthly The Holy Ghost exhorts us to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and presses us to looke to the obtaining of a full assurance therefore Beleevers may attaine unto an assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse Wherefore 2 Pet. 1. 10. the rather Brethren saith the Apostle give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you doe these things you shall never fall The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Beza and Jansen Luther saith he had rather obey then work Miracles translated give diligence signifieth two things 1. All possible haste and speed 2. All manner of seriousness and intention in doing make it your maine businesse your chiefest study your greatest care to make your calling and election sure saith the Apostle when this is done your all is done till this be done there is nothing done and to shew the necessity utility excellency and possibility of it the Apostle puts a rather upon it wherefore the rather give all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firme or stable God loves curristas not quaeristas the runner not the questioner he is taken most with them that are more for motion then notion for doing then talking diligence to make your calling and election sure or as it is in the Originall firme or stable it is the one thing necessary it is of an internal and eternal concernment to make firme and sure work for your souls Assurance is a jewel of that worth a pearle of that price that he that wil have it must work and sweat and weep and wait to obtaine it he must not only use diligence but he must use all diligence not only digge but he must dig deep before he can come to this golden Mine Assurance is that white stone that new name that hidden Manna that none can obtaine but such as labour for it as for life Assurance is such precious gold that a man must win it before he can wear it win gold and wear gold is the language both of heaven earth The Riches Honours Languages Psal 127. 1 2. Luk. 5. 5. Prov. 14. 23 and favours of this world cannot bee obtained without much trouble and travell without rising early and going to bed late c. and do you think that assurance which is more worth then heaven and earth can be obtained by cold lazie heart-lesse services if you doe you doe but deceive your own soules There are five things that God Qui fecit te sine te non salvabit tâ— sine te Aug. wil never sell at a cheap rate Christ Truth his Honour Heaven and Assurance he that wil have these must â—ay a good price for them or goe for ever without them And as Peter exhorts you to give all â—iligence to make your calling and election sure So Paul presseth you to looke to the obtaining of full assurance which does clearly evidence that there is a possibility of attaining unto a full assurance of our happinesse and blessednesse in this life And we desire saith Heb. 6. 11. 12 Vide Calvin and Piscator on the text Praecepta decent exempla movent Precepts may instruct but examples doe perswade See from the 13. vers to the 19 ver of this chapter the Apostle that every one of you doe shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end that yee be not slothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherite the Promises We must not only strive after assurance but we must strive and shew all diligence to the attaining of that rich and full assurance which wil scatter all feares and doubts which wil make a soule patient in waiting couragious in doing and cheerful in suffering and which wil make a heaven in a mans heart on this side heaven and make him goe singing into Paradise in despight of all calamities and miseries And certainly it can never stand with the holinesse righteousnesse faithfulnesse and goodnesse of God to put his people upon making their calling It was a good saying â—a quod juâ—es jube quod vis and election sure and upon obtaining full assurance if there were not a possibility of obtaining a full and well-grounded assurance of their happinesse and blessedness in this life and therefore it doth undeniably follow that they may attaine unto a blessed assurance of their felicity and glory whilst they are in this vale of misery The contrary opinion we make a mans life a hell here though he should escape a hel hereafter Seventhly
is this but to torment the weary soule to dis-spirit the wounded spirit and to make them most sad whom God would have most glad Ah how sad is it for men to affirme that wounded souls may know That the Son of righteousnesse Mal. 4. 2. hath healing in his wings but they cannot be assured that they shall bee healed The hungry soule may Luke 15. 17. know that there is bread enough in his Fathers house but cannot know that he shall taste of that bread The naked soule may know that Christ hath Rev. 3. 18. Robes of righteousnes to cover al the spots sores defects and deformities of it but may not presume to know that Christ will put those royal Robes upon it The impoverished soule may know that there bee unsearchable Eph. 3. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to b◠traced out riches in Christ but cannot be assured that ever it shall partake of those riches all that these men allow poore foules is guesses and conjectures that it may be well with them they will not allow soules to say with Thomas My Lord and my God nor with Job to say My Redeemer lives nor with Joh. 20 28. Job 19. 25. Can. 7. 10. the Church I am my beloveds and his desire is towards mee And so they leave soules in a cloudy questioning doubting hovering condition hanging like Mahomets Tomb at Mecha between two Load stones or like Erasmus as the Papists paint him hanging betwixt heaven and hell They make the poor soul a magor missabib a terrour to it selfe What more uncomfortable Doctrine then this what more soule-disquieting and soul-unsetling doctrine then this Thou art this moment in a state of life thou mayest the next moment bee in a state of death thou art now gracious thou mayest the next houre be gracelesse Thou art now in the promised Land yet thou mayest dye in the wildernesse Thou art to day a habitation for God thou mayest The heathens used to absolve men by giving them white stones and condemn them by giving them black ones tomorrow be a Synagogue of Satan Thou hast to day received the White-stone of absolution thou mayest tomorrow receive the Black-stone of condemnation Thou art now in thy Saviours Arms thou mayest tomorrow bee in Satans Paws Thou art now Christs free man thou mayest tomorrow bee Satans bond-man Thou art now a vessel of honour thou mayest suddenly become a vessel of wrath Thou art now greatly beloved thou mayest soon be as greatly loathed This day thy name is fairly written in the Book of life tomorrow the Book may be crost and thy name blotted out for ever This is the Arminians doctrine and if this bee not to keep soules in a doubting and trembling and shivering condition what is it Well Christians Remember this is your happinesse and blessednesse That none can plucke you out of your Fathers hand That you are kept as in a Garrison or as with a Guard by the power of God through faith unto salvation That the Mountains shall depart Ioh. 10. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kept safe and fast as in a strong Garrison Isa 54. 10. Heb. 7. 25. and the hils be removed but the kindnesse of the Lord shall not depart from you neither shall the Covenant of peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on you That Christ ever lives to make intercession for you And that men and devils are as able and shall as soon make a world dethrone God pluck the Sun out of the Firmament and Christ out of the bosom of the Father as they shall pluck a beleever out of the everlasting Arms of Christ or rob him of one of his precious Jewels I shall close up this Chapter with an Deut. 33. 26 27 Mal 3. 17. excellent saying of Luther The whole Scripture saith he doth principally aime at this thing that we should not doubt but that we should hope that we should trust that we should beleeve that God is a merciful a bountiful a gracious and a patient God to his people CHAP. II. Containing several weighty Propositions concerning Assurance THE first Proposition that I shall lay downe concerning Assurance is this That God denies Assurance for a time to his dearest and choysest ones and that upon many considerable grounds As first for the exercise of their grace a gracious soule would alwayes be upon Mount Tabor looking into Canaan he would alwayes bee in his Fathers arms and under his Fathers smiles hee would alwayes bee in the Sun-shine of divine favour hee would alwayes have the heavens open that Tam pater nemo tum pius nemo Tertul. he might alwayes see his Christ and his Crowne he would with Peter bee alwayes upon the Mount hee is loath to walke through the valley of darknesse through the valley of Baca. As Gen. 14. 21. If Saints should alwayes have Assurance they would be too apt to say bonum est esse hic it is good for us to be here the King of Sodome said once to Abraham Give me the persons and take the goods to thy selfe So gracious soules are apt to say Give mee joy give me peace give me Assurance and doe you take trials afflictions and temptations to your selves But pray what use would there be of the Starres if the Sunne did alwayes shine why none why no more use would there bee of your graces if Assurance should be alwayes continued therefore the Lord for the exercise of his childrens faith hope patience c. is pleased at least for a time to deny them Assurance though they seek it by earnest prayer and with a flood of penitent tears Secondly The Lord denies Assurance to his dearest ones that he may keep them in the exercise of those Religious duties that are most costly and contrary to flesh and blood as to mourning repenting selfe-judging selfe-loathing selfe-abhorring and selfe-searching As that 1 Sam. 16. For these things I weep mine eye mine eye runneth downe with water because the comforter that should relieve my soule is far from me Chap. 3. verse 2 3. Hee hath led me and brought me into darknesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not into light Surely against me hee is Bring back my soule or fetch again my soule i. e. Comfort refresh and rejoyce me as in former times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turned he turneth his hand against mee all the day verse 17. And thou hast removed my soule far off from peace I forgat prosperity Now what this sad dealings of God puts the Church upon you may see in verse 40. Let us search and try our wayes and turne again to the Lord And if you look throughout 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book you shall finde the These two Hebrew words are joyned together to intimate to us that diligent narrow and accurate enquiry that they should make into their wayes to search as men do into the bowels of the
he can be assured of remission or salvation but this he cannot bee before he hath faith therefore there may bee grace where there is no assurance Christ went to heaven in a cloud and the Angel went up to heaven in the smoak and flame of the sacrifice and so I doubt not but many precious soules doe ascend to heaven in clouds Act. 1. 9. Judg. 13. 20. and darknesse Now a man may have grace and yet want assurance and that may arise from these causes First from his cavilling spirit and Cease cavilling thou weak soul and say Quod fui Demine ignosce quod sum corrige quod ero dirige O Lord forgive what I have been correct what I am direct what I shall be from his siding with the old man against the new with the flesh against the spirit with corruption against grace with the house of Saul against the house of David with the worke of Satan against the worke of God Sinne is Satans worke grace holiness is Gods yet such is the weaknesse yea madnesse of many poore soules that they will fall in and side with Satans worke rather then with Gods against their owne soules Ah Christians will you condemne that Judge for injustice and unrighteousnesse that shall open his eares to the complaints of the Plaintiffe but stop his ears against When John Prostiborski Baron of Schanow was laid on the racke he with an heroical indignation cut out his tongue and cast it away being demanded why he did so set down his answer with a quill on the wall I did it said he because I would not be brought by any tortures to say any thing that is false against my selfe or others Ah cavilling souls I had almost said that you were better cut out your tongues then suffer them to be still a cavilling against the grace of God the image of God that is stamped upon you the answers of the Defendant and will you not condemne your selves for that you doe with both ears heare what Sinne and Satan hath to say against the soule but have not one eare open to heare what the Spirit what grace what the New-man what the noble part of man what the regenerate man can say for the justification satisfaction and consolation of the soule Let mee tell thee O thou cavilling soule that it is thy wisdome and thy duty to remember that that command of God that doth prohibit thee from bearing false witnesse against thy neighbour that same command doth enjoyne thee not to beare false witnesse against the worke of grace upon thy owne heart against the precious and glorious things that God hath done for thy soul And thou shouldest make as much conscience of bearing false witnesse against any thing the Lord hath wrought in thee and for thee as thou doest make conscience of bearing false witnesse against thy neighbour It cannot but be sad with the soule but be night with the soule when it makes much conscience of the one and no conscience of the other Many heathens have been so loving and faithful one to another that they would rather dye then they would beare false witnesse one against another How dare you cavilling souls then to beare false witnesse against your owne soules and the gracious worke of the Lord upon them If this bee not the way to keep off assurance and keep the soule in darknesse yea in a hell I know nothing Againe a man may have grace and yet want assurance and that may arise in the second place from the exceeding littlenesse and weaknesse of Matth. 14. 30 31. Mark 9. 24. his grace A little Candle yeelds but a little light and a little grace yeelds but a little evidence Great measures of grace carries with them great and cleer evidences but little measures carries with them but little evidence Some Stars are so small that they are scarce discernable So some Saints Luke 13 18 19. Pythagoras saâ—th That Mustard-seed hath the preeminence among those things whose power is to ascend upwards Pliâ— in hâ—s Rhet. Hist lib. 20. cha 22. speaks more of this grain vide graces are so small that they can hardly see their graces to bee graces A little fire will yeeld but a little heat a little grace will yeeld but a little comfort a little evidence A little grace will yeeld a man a heaven hereafter but it is a great deale of grace that must yeeld us heaven here A little stock will bring in but a little profit a little grace will bring in but a little peace A little Jewel yeelds but a little lustre a little glory no more doth a little grace and therefore it is that Christians that have but a little grace have but a little of the shine and lustre of Assurance they have but little joy and comfort in this world Yet that the spirits of weake Christians may not utterly faint let mee give them this hint viz. That the weakest Christian The Babe in the arms as much propriety in the Father as hee that is growne up to ripe years though he cannot make such improvement of it as the other is as much justified as much pardoned as much adopted and as much united to Christ as the strongest and hath as much interest and propriety in Christ as the highest and noblest Christian that breaths though hee cannot make so much advantage and improvement of his interest and propriety as the strong Christian who hath a greater degree of grace Hierom observes upon the Beatitudes that there are many of the promises made to weake grace Mat. 5. A childs hand may receive a pearle as well as the hand of a Gyant so may a weak faith a Christ as well as a strong 3. 4. Blessed are the poore in spirit v. 4. Blessed are they that mourne and v. 5. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst Weake Saints remember this the promise is a ring of gold and Christ is the precious tried stone in that ring and upon that stone must you rest as you would have grace to thrive and your soules to bee safe and happy Weake soules remember this as Joseph sent Chariots to bring his Father Gen. 45. and his brethren to him so God would have your weake graces to bee as Chariots to bring you to himselfe who is the cherisher strengthner and increaser of grace Hee that makes his graces to be servants and handmaids to convey him to Christ the It would very much discomfort us and terrifie us to see one haunt us that was long since laid in the grave whose resurrection we did neither feare nor repent till the sounding of the last Trumpet fountaine of grace hee shall finde the greatest sweetnesse in grace and the greatest increase of grace Againe a man may have true grace and yet want assurance and this may arise from the resurrection of old sins Ah when those sinnes which were long since committed and long since lamented and long since
loathed and long since crucified when those old sins which hath cost a soule many prayers and many tears and many sighs and may groans and many complaints when those sinnes that have been long buried shall bee againe revived and meet the soule and stare upon the soule and say to the soule We are thine and wee will follow thee wee are thine and wee will haunt thee Ah how will this cause a mans countenance to bee changed his thoughts to be troubled his joynts to be loosed and his heart to be amazed David and Job meeting with the sins of their youth long after they were Psal 25. 7. Job 13 26. lamented and pardoned makes their hearts startle and tremble Upon the new risings of old sinnes the soule begins to question all and thus to expostulate the case Surely my estate is not good my pardon is not sealed if it be how comes these sinnes to bee revived to be remembred hath not God ingaged himselfe in the promises Isa 43. 25 Jer. 31. 34. of Grace that those sinnes that are pardoned shall never be remembred and surely if these sinnes be not pardoned I have reason to feare that others bee not pardoned and if my sins bee not pardoned how shall I escape being destroyed Surely my repentance was not sound my sorrow was not sincere the blow the wound I gave sinne was not mortall if it had how comes it to passe that it now meets mee like an armed enemy Thus these new risings of old sinnes keeps many a mans soule and assurance asunder Again a man may have grace and yet want assurance and this may arise Perfection is desireable on earth but shall be onely enjoyed in heaven It was a sweet saying of One In libro tâ—o scribuntur omnes qui quod possunt faciunt si quod debent non possunt They are surely written all in Gods Book that doe what they can though they cannot but under do from his falling short of that perfection that the word requires and that other Saints have attained to Ah sayes such a soul surely I have no grace Oh how short do I fall of such and such righteous rules and of such and such precious Christians Ah how cleer are they in their light how strong are they in their love how high are they in their attainments how are their hearts filled with grace and their lives with holinesse all their motions towards God and towards man speaks out Grace Grace they pray indeed like Saints and live indeed like Angels Now many poore soules comparing themselves with the perfect rule of righteousnesse and with those that are in the highest formes in Christs Schoole and that are the noblest and choicest patterns for purity and sanctity and finding such a vast disproportion between their hearts and the rule between their actions and lives and the lives and actions of others they are apt to fit downe sadded and discouraged Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar that seeing Alexanders statue hee fetched a deep sigh because hee at that age had none so little So many precious Remember this Though your consolation depends upon degrees of grace yet your salvation depends upon the truth of grace soules sit downe sighing and weeping that they have lived so long and done so little for God and for their owne internal and eternal good This wounds and sinkes their spirits that they are so unlike to those in Grace that they desire to be like unto in Glory and that they are so far below such and such in spirituals whom they are so far above in temporals 5 Again a man may have true grace and yet want assurance and this may arise from that smoak and clouds those feares and doubts that corruption raises in the soule so that the soule cannot see those excellent The being of grace is a different thing from the seeing of grace The blind man you know in the Gospel calls his faith unbeleef graces that otherwise might bee discerned though there may bee many precious gems and jewels in the house yet the smoak may hinder a man from seeing them sparkle and shine So though there be many precious graces in the soules of Saints yet corruption may raise such a dust such a smoak in the soule that the soule is not able to see them in the beauty and glory Gen. 21. 19 20 The Wel of water was neer Hagar but she saw it not till her eyes were opened by the Lord. So grace is neer the soul yea in the soul sometimes and yet the soul doth not see it till God opens the Gen. 28. eye and shews it The Lord was in this Yet a Saint at worst is not like him in Plutarch who would not bee resolved of his doubts because he would not lose the pleasure in seeking for resolution No he loves and looks and longs for resolution to all his doubts place said Jacob and I knew it not so many a precious soule may say Grace was in my heart and I knew it not I saw it not Blessed Bradford in one of his Epistles saith thus O Lord meethinks I feel it so with me sometimes as if there were no difference between my heart and the heart of the wicked my minde is as blinde as theirs my spirit as stout stubborne and rebellious as theirs and my thoughts as confused as theirs and my affections as disordered as theirs and sâ—rvices as formal as theirs c. Ah Christians have not many of your soules found it so Surely yes no wonder then that though you have grace yet you have not seen it sparkling and shining in your soules as some have thought that their fields have had no corne because they have been so full of weeds and that their heap hath no wheat because nothing hath appeared but chaffe that their pile hath no gold because it hath been covered with much dross So some have thought that their hearts have been void of grace because they have been so full of Matth. 14 30 Mat. 12. 15. Gen 20. Chap. fears and doubts Peter at one time beleeves and walkes at another time he doubts and sinkes Abraham beleeves and offers up Isaac at one time hee feares and falls at another time Say thou art my sister lest they kill mee So David and Job they had their shufflings tremblings faintings shakings Psal 116. 11. Psal 31. 22. and questionings It is not alwayes high water with Saints sometimes they are reduced to a very low ebbe The best of Saints are like the Rara hora brevis mora Ber. Arke tossed up and downe with waves with feares and doubts and so it will bee till they are quite in the bosome of Christ 6 Lastly a man may have grace and yet not see it yet not know it and this may arise from his non-searching his non-examining his non-ransacking of his owne soule there is gold in the Mine and men might finde it if they would
The fifth Proposition those choice soules that have assurance may lose it they may forfeit it the freshnesse and greennesse the beauty lustre and glory of assurance may bee lost It is true beleevers cannot lose the habits the seeds the root of grace yet they may lose assurance which is the beauty and fragrancy the crowne and glory of Grace These two lovers Grace and Assurance are not by 1 Joh. 3. 9. 1 Per 1. 5. God so neerly joyned together but that they may by sinne on our side and justice on Gods bee put asunder It is wonderfull rare if possible for a man that ever had a well-grounded Assurance not to experâ—ence this truth at first or last The keeping of these two Lovers Grace and Assurance together will yeeld the soul two heavens a heaven of joy and peace here and a heaven of happinesse and blessednesse hereafter but the putting these two Lovers asunder will put the soule into a hell here though it escape a hell hereafter This Chrysostome knew well when hee professed that the want of the enjoyment of God would bee a A separation between the body and the soul will not so torment the soul as separation between grace and assurance far greater hell to him then the feeling of any punishment As you would keep your Christ as you would keep your Comfort as you would keep your Crowne keep Grace and Assurance together and neither by lip nor life by word nor works let these be put asunder It is possible for the best men so to blot and blur their Evidences for felicity and glory as that they may not bee able to read them nor understand them They may so vexe and grieve the Spirit either by grosse enormities or by refusing his Spiritus Sanctus est res delicata the Holy Spirit is a very render thing comforts and cordials or by neglecting or sleighting his gracious actings in themselves and others or by mis-judging his worke as calling faith fancy or sincerity hypocrisie c. or by fathering those brats upon him that are the children of their owne distempered hearts as that hee may refuse to witnesse their interest in him 1 Sam. 16. Joh. 14. though he be a witnessing Spirit and refuse to comfort them though he be the onely Comforter The best beleever that breaths What Latimer said of the spirit it is going and coming may be truly said of Assurance and joy it is coming and going may have his Summer-day turned into a Winter-night his rejoycing into sighing his singing into weeping his wedding Robes into mourning weeds his wine into water his sweet into bitter his Mannah his Angels-food into husks his pleasant grapes into the grapes of Sodome his fruitfull Canaan his delightfull Paradise into a barren and unlovely wildernesse Look as faith is often attended with unbeleef and sincerity with hypocrisie and humility with vaine glory so is Assurance with feares and doubts Blessed Hooker lived neer So dâ—d Mr. Burroughs of blessed memory goe to heaven in a cloud thirty yeers in close communion with God without any considerable withdrawings of God all that while and yet upon his dying-bed he went away without any sense of assurance or discoveries of the smiles of God to the wonder and deceiving of the expectation of many precious soules and without doubt in judgement to wicked men Look as many a man loses the sight of the City when he comes neer to it So many a choice soule loses the sight of heaven even then when hee is neerest to heaven Abraham you know had assurance in an extraordinary way concerning his protection from God and yet saies Gen 12. 19. Chap. 20. 2. We should rather dye then lie we are not to tell an officious lye to tell a lye for no hurt but for good though it were to save all the world said Austin Abraham say thou art my sister for otherwise they will kill me Ah how was the freshness the greenness the beauty and glory of his assurance wore off that he should out of slavish fears expose his wife to other mens pleasure and himselfe and his neighbour to Gods displeasure that hee should wound foure at once the honour of God his wives chastity his owne conscience and Pharoahs soul David you know sometimes sings it out sweetly The Lord is my portion and the lot of mine inheritance he is my salvation of whom shall I be afraid he is my Psal 18. 2. Rocke and fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength my trust my buckler and my high Tower At other times you have him sighing it out Why art thou cast downe O my soule why art thou disquieted in me why hast thou forgotten me O God my Rock why goe I mourning Vers 9. Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore There is no soundness Psal 38. 2. in my flesh because of thine Vers 3. Vers 4 anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sinne for mine iniquities Vers 6. are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for mee Psal 30. 7. Ps 51. 8. to 13. I am troubled I am bowed downe greatly I goe mourning all the day long Thou diddest hide thy face and I was troubled Restore to me the joy of my salvation that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce His heart was more often out of tune then his harpe He begins many of his Psalms sighing and ends them singing and others he begins in joy and ends in sorrow So that one would think saith one that Peter Moulin those Psalms had been composed by two men of a contrary humor Yea it is very observable that though David had assurance in an extraordinary way that he should be King being anoâ—nted by that great Prophet Samuel yet the lustre and glory of this assurance wears off and he overcome by slavish fears Psal 116. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cryes out That all men are lyars even Samuel as well as others and that he shall one day perish by the hand of In my trembling or in my affrightment I said all men are lyers Saul It is true says David I have a Crown a Kingdom in a promise but I must swim to the Crown thorow blood I must win the Crown before I wear it and the truth is I am like to die before I attain it Yea and after he was King when King Jesus did but hide his face he was sorely troubled Psal 30. 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that neither his glorious Bahal I was troubled like a withered flower that loosâ—th sap and vigor So it is used in Exod. 15. 15. Throne nor his Royal Robes nor his Golden Crown nor his glistering Courtiers nor his large Revenues nor his cheerful temper nor his former Experiences could quiet him or satisfie him when God had turned his back upon him Look as
loathsom Dungeon the pavement whereof was sharp shells and his bed to lie on a bundle of thorns All which this blessed Martyr received without so much as a groan breathing out his spirit in these words Vincentius is my name and by the grace of God I will be still Vincentius inspight of all your torments Persecution brings death in one hand and life in the other for while it kills the body it crowns the soul The most cruel Martyrdom is but a crafty trick to escape death to pass from life to life from the prison to paradise from the cross to the crown Justin Martyr says that when the Romans did immortalize their Emperors as they called it they brought one to swear that he see him go to Heaven out of the fire But we may see by an eye of Faith the blessed Souls of suffering Saints flie to Heaven like Elias in his fiery Judg. 13. 20. chariot like the Angel that appeared to Manoah in the flames John Hus Martyr had such choice discoveries of God and such sweet in-comes of the Spirit as made his patience and constancy A patient man under reproaches is like a man with a Sword in one hand and a Salve in the other he could wound but he will heal invincible When he was brought forth to be burned they put on his head a Triple Crown of Paper painted over with ugly Devils but when he saw it he said My Lord Jesus Christ for my sake did were a Crown of Thorns why should not I then for his sake wear this light crown be it never so ignominious truly I will do it and that willingly And as they tied his neck with a chain to the stake smiling he said That he would willingly receive the The Motto of patient souls is plura pro Christo toleranda we must suffer more then so for Christ same chain for Jesus Christs sake who he knew was bound with a far worse chain for his sake Well remember this their names that by a patient suffering are written in Red Letters of blood in the Churches Calender are written in Golden Letters in Christs Register in the Book of Life A second Reason why the Lord Reas 2 lifts up the light of his countenance upon his people in suffering times and that is for the confirmation of some for the conversion of others and for the greater conviction and confusion of their adversaries who wonder and are like men amazed when they see the comfort and the courage of the Saints in suffering times Pauls choice carriage in his bonds was the Phil. 1. 14. vide Estius confirmation of many And many of the Brethren in the Lord waxing confident by my bonds are much more bold to speak the Word without fear And as the sufferings of the Saints do contribute to the confirmation of some so by the blessing of God they contribute to the conversion of others I beseech thee says Paul for Philem. v. 10. my son Onesimus whom I have begotten in my bonds It was a notable saying of Luther Ecclesia totum mundum convertâ—t sanguine oratione The Church converteth the whole world by blood and prayer Basil affirms That the They knew it could be but a days journey between the cross and paradise between that short storm and an eternal calm Primitive Saints shewed so much comfort and courage so much Heroick zeal and constancy that many of the Heathens turned Christians so that choice spirit that the Saints have shewed in their sufferings when Christ hath overshadowed them with his love and stayed them with flagons and comforted them with apples hath madded grieved vexed and extreamly It would be too tedious to give you an account of all particular persecutors in this case whom the courage faith and patience of the Saints have tyred out tormented and made weaty of their lives and also bred wonder and astonishment in beholders and readers tormented their tormentors Lactantius boasts of the braveness of the Martyrs in his time our children and women not to speak of men do in silence overcome their tormentors and the fire cannot so much as fetch a sigh from them Hegesippus reports an observation of Antoninus the Emperor viz. That the Christians were most couragious and confident always in Earth-quakes whilest his own Heathen Souldiers were at such accidents most fearful and dis-spirited Certainly no Earth-quakes can make any Heart-quakes among the suffering Saints so long as the countenance of God shines upon their face and his love lies warm upon their Hearts The suffering Saint may be assaulted but not vanquished he may be troubled but can never be conquered he may lose his head but he cannot lose his Crown which the 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. righteous Lord hath prepared and laid up for him The suffering Saint shall still be master of the day though they Mori posse vinci non posse kill him they cannot hurt him he may suffer death but never conquest And they overcame him by the blood of Rev. 12. 11. the Lamb and by the word of their testimony O Lord Jesus said one I love thee plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me more then all my goods more then all my friends yea more then my very life and they loved not their lives unto the death They love not their lives that love Christ and his truth more then their lives they that slight contemn and despise their lives when they stand in competition with Christ may be truly said not to love their lives In these words you see that the Saints by dying do overcome They may kill me said Socrates of his enemies but they cannot hurt me A Saint may say this and more The Herb Heliotropium doth turn about and open it self according to the motion of the Sun so do the Saints in their sufferings according to the internal motions of the Sun of Righteousness upon them A third Reason Why the Lord Reas 3 causes his goodness to pass before his people and his face to shine upon his people in suffering times and that is for the praise of his own Grace and for the glory of his own Name God would lose much of his own glory if he should not stand by his people and comfort them and strengthen them in the day of their sorrows Ah the dirt the scorn the contempt that Exod. 32. 12. Num. 14. 13. vain men would cast upon God Look as our greatest good comes thorow the sufferings of Christ so Gods greatest glory that he hath from his Saints comes thorow their sufferings If ye be reproached for the name of Christ. 1 Peâ— 4. 14. Vide Bezam happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you On their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified It makes much for the glory of God that his people are cleared and comforted quickned and raised spiritualized and elevated in
the day Dan. 3. 28 29 30. of their sufferings O the sight of so noble a spirit in the Saints cause others Dan. 6. 25 26 27. to admire God to lift up God to fall in love with God and to glorifie God for owning his people and for being a light to them in darkness a joy to them in sorrow and a pallace to them in a prison God is very sensible of the many praises and prayers that he should lose did he not cause his love and his glory to rest upon his people in suffering times There is Isa 48. 11 nothing that God is so tender of as he is of his glory and that his heart is so much set upon as his glory and therefore he will visit them in a prison Gen. 39. 20. ult and feast them in a dungeon and walk with them in a fiery furnace and shew kindness to them in a Lyons den that every one may shot and cry Dan 6. Grace Grace God loves to act in Zech 4. 7. such ways of Grace towards his suffering ones as may stop the mouths of their enemies and cause the hearts of his friends to rejoyce Fourthly Believing times are times Reas 4 wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people when his children are in the Exercise of Faith then the Lord is pleased to make known his goodness and to feal up to them everlasting happiness and blessedness Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of Truth the Gospel of your Salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise or In whom believing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vide Beza and Calvin ye were sealed that is As you were in the very Excrcise and Actings of Faith upon the Lord Jesus Christ the Spirit of the Lord made sure and sealed up to you your Adoption your Reconciliation your Pardon and everlasting Inheritance Him that honors Christ by believing by fresh and frequent actings of Faith upon him him will Christ certainly honor and secure by setting his seal and mark upon him and by assuring of him of a Kingdom that shakes not of riches that corrupt not and of glory that fades not Ah Christians you wrong two at once Christ and your own souls whilest you thus reason Lord give me first assurance and then I will believe in thee and rest upon thee whereas your great work is to believe and to hold on believing and acting of Faith on the Lord Jesus till you come to be assured and sealed up to the day of Redemption This is the surest and the shortest way to assurance That is a remarkable passage of the Apostle in Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall fill you from signifies to be filled with joy and peace as the sails of a ship are fillâ—d with wind all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost The God of hope saith the Apostle shall fill you with all joy and peace in believing that is whilest you are in the Exercise and Actings of Faith the God of hope shall fill you with that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and with that peace that passes understanding Faith is the Key that unlocks paradise and lets in a flood of joy into the soul Faith is an appropriating Grace it appropriates all to it self it looks upon God says with the Psalmist This God is my God for ever and Psal 63. 1. 48. 14. ever it looks upon Christ and says My beloved is mine and his desires are towards Can. 7. 10. me it looks upon the precious promises and says these precious promises are 2 Pet. 1. 4. mine it looks upon Heaven and says Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of 2 Tim 4 8. Righteousness and this fills the soul with joy peace Faith hath an influence upon other graces it is like a silver thred Tantum possumus quanium credimus that runs thorow a chain of Pearl it puts strength vivacity in to all other vertues it made Abraham to rejoyce and it made Noah sit still quiet in the midst of a deluge Faith is the first pin that moveth the soul it is the spring in the Watch that sets all the Golden Wheels of Love Joy Comfort and Peace a going Faith is a root of Grace from whence springs all the sweet flowers of joy peace Faith is like the Bee it will suck sweetness out of every flower it will extract light out of darkness comforts out of distresses mercies out of miseries wine out of Judg. 14. 14. water honey out of the rock and meat out of the eater 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Upon the Exercise of Faith their hearts are filled with joy with unspeakable joy with glorious joy Faith sees in Christ Plenitudo abundantiae There is in Christ not onely plenitudo vasis but plenitudo fontis the fulness of a vessel but the fulness of a fountain and this makes the heart of a Saint leap when he sees it by an eye of Faith and plenitudo redundantiae a fulness of abundance and a fulness of redundancy and this fills the heart with glorious joy Ah Christians believing believing is the ready way the safest way the sweetest way the shortest way the onely way to a wel-grounded assurance and to that unspeakable joy and peace that flows from it as the effect from the cause the fruit from the root the stream from the fountain There is such assurance and such joy that springs from the fresh and frequent actings of Faith that cannot be exprest that cannot be painted no man can paint the sweetness of the honey comb the sweetness of a clustre of Canaan the sweetness of paradise the fragrancy of the Rose of Sharon As the being of things cannot be painted and as sweetness of things cannot be painted no more can that assurance and joy that flows from believing be painted or expressed it is too great and too glorious for weak man Rom. 4. 18. to paint or set forth When Abraham believed in hope against hope and when in the face of all dangers and difficulties he put forth such noble and glorious acts of Faith as to conclude That the Lord would provide himself a Gen. 22. 8. Dominus providebit the Lord will provide was Maximilians pious Motto and should be every Saints Motto in straits and troubles Lamb for a burnt-offering and that in the Mount he would be seen God is so taken with the actings of his Faith and the effects of it that he swears by himself That in blessing he would bless him that is I will
as cannot be exprest as cannot be declared Christ in this Ordinance opens such boxes of precious Oyntments as fill the Saints with a spiritual savor he gives them a cluster of the Grapes of Num. 13. 23 24 25. Canaan that makes them earnestly look and long to be in Canaan The Cypr. l 4. ep 6 Aug. in John Tract 27 c. Christians in the Primitive times upon their receiving the Sacrament were wont to be filled with that zeal and fervor with that joy and comfort with that faith fortitude and assurance that made them to appear before the Tyrants with transcendent boldness and cheerfulness as many Writers do testifie Now there are these Reasons why God is pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people when they are a hearing the Word of Life and a breaking the Bread of Life First That they may highly prize Reas 1 the Ordinances the choice Discoveries that God makes to their souls in them works them to set a very high Psal 63. 2 3. Cant 2 3. Psal 19. 10. This age is full of careless Gallioes Acts â—8 17. that care not for these things price upon them O say such souls we cannot but prize them we cannot but affect them for what of God we have enjoyed in them Many there are that are like old Barzillai that had lost his taste and hearing and so cared not for Davids feasts and musick so many there are that can see nothing of God nor taste nothing of God in Ordinances they care not for Ordinances they slight Ordinances O but souls Psal 84. 10 11. that have seen and heard and tasted of the goodness of the Lord in Ordinances they dearly love them and highly prize them I have esteemed thy Word says Job above my necessary food Job 23. 12. Better that the Sun shine not then that Chrysostom Preach not And David sings it out The Law of thy mouth is better unto me then thousands of gold and silver Luther prized the Word at such a high rate that he saith He would not live in Paradise if he might without the Word At cum verbo etiam in inferno facile est vivere but with the Word he could live in Hell it self Secondly God lifts up the light of Reas 2 his countenance upon his people in Ordinances that he may keep them Psal 27. 4. close to Ordinances and constant in Ordinances the soul shall hear good news from Heaven when it is waiting at Wisdoms door God will acquaint Prov. 8. 34 35. the soul with Spiritual Mysteries and feed it with the droppings of the Honey Comb that the soul may cleave to them as Ruth did to Naomi Ruth 1. 15 16 17. and say of them as she said of her Where these go I will go where these lodge I will lodge and nothing but death shall make a separation between Ordinances and my soul After Joshua Josh 1. 5. had had a choice presence of God with his spirit in the service he was put upon he makes a Proclamation Chuse you whom you will serve I and my Josh 24. 15. houshold will serve the Lord. Let the issue be what it will I will cleave to the service of my God I will set my soul under Gods spout I will wait for him Mal. 3. 1. in his Temple I will look for him in Revel 2. 1. the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks I have found him a good Master I will live and dye in his service I have found his work to be better then wages I have found a reward not onely for keeping but also in keeping his Commandments as the Psal 19. 11 Psalmist speaks The good words the sweet aspects the choice hints the heavenly intercourse that hath been between the Lord Jesus and my soul in his service hath put such great and glorious engagements upon my soul that I cannot but say with the servant in the Law I love my Master Exod. 21. 5. Deut. 15. 16 17. and I will not quit his service because it is well with me my ear is bored and I will be his servant for ever The third Reason Why the Lord Reas 3 causes the beams of his love and the brightness of his glory to shine forth upon his people in Ordinances is To fence and strengthen their souls against all those temptations that they may meet with from Satan and his Ephes 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies cogging with a Dy such slights as cheaters and false-gamesters use at Dâ—ce instruments that lie in wait to deceive and by their cunning craftiness endeavor with all their might to work men first to have low thoughts of Ordinances and then to neglect them and then to despise them Now the Lord Chrysostom saith That by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are so armed against Satans temptations that he fleeth from us as if we were so many Leones ignem expuentes Lyons that spit fire by the sweet discoveries of himself by the kisses and love tokens that he gives to his people in Ordinances does so indear and engage their hearts to them that they are able not onely to withstand temptations but also to triumph over temptations thorow him that hath loved them and in Ordinances manifested his presence and the riches of his grace and goodness to them the sweet converse the blessed turns and walks that the Saints have with God in Ordinances makes them strong in resisting and happy in conquering of those temptations that tend to lead them from the Ordinances which are Christs bankquetting-house Can 2. 4. Beith Haiin is Domus vini the House of Wine where he sets before his people all the dainties and sweet-meats of Heaven and bids them eat and drink abundantly there being no danger of surfeiting in eating or drinking of Christs delicates Truly many a soul hath surfeited of the worlds dainties and died for ever but there is not a soul that hath had the honor and happiness to be brought into Christs bankquetting-house and to eat and drink of his dainties but they have lived for ever The fourth Reason Why the Lord Reas 4 is pleased to give his people some sense of his love and some tastes of Heaven in Ordinances is That he may fit and ripen them for Heaven and make them look and long more after a perfect compleat and full enjoyment of God Souls at first conversion are but roughcast but God by visiting of them Isa 64. 5. and manifesting of himself to them in his ways doth more and more fit those Vessels of Mercy for Glory Ah Christians tell me do not those Holy Influences those Spiritual Breathings those Divine In-comes that you meet with in Ordinances make your souls cry out with David As the Hart panteth after the water Psal 42. 1 2. The Greeks derive their word for desire from a root that signifieth to burn Now if one should
heap never so much fuel upon a fire it would not quench it but kindle it the more so nothing can satisfie the desires of a Saint but a full celestial enjoyment of God brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God even for the living God When shall I come and appear before the presence of God So in that Psal 63. 1 2. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary In these words you have Davids strong earnest and vehement desires here you have desire upon desire here you have the very flower and vigor of his spirit the strength and sinews of his soul the prime and top of his enflamed affections all strongly working after a fuller enjoyment of God Look as the espoused Maid longs for the marriage day the Apprentice for his freedom the Captive for his ransom the condemned man for his pardon the Traveller for his Inn and the Mariner for his Haven so doth a soul that hath met with God in his Ordinances long to meet with God in Heaven It is It is not drops but swimming in the Ocean that will satisfie a soul that hath looked into paradise not a drop it is not a lap and away a sip and away that will suffice such a soul No. This soul will never be quiet till it sees God face to face till it be quiet in the bosom of God The more a Saint tastes of God in an Ordinance the more are his desires raised and whetted and the more are his teeth set on edge for more and more of God Plutarch faith That Plutarch in vita Camilli when once the Gauls had tasted of the sweet Wine that was made of the Grapes of Italy nothing would satisfie them but Italy Italy So a soul A full enjoyment of God is the most sparkling Diamond in the Ring of Glory that hath tasted of the sweetness and goodness of God in Ordinances nothing will satisfie it but more of that goodness and sweetness a little mercy may save the soul but it must be a great deal of mercy that must satisfie the soul The least glimps of Gods countenance may be a staff to support the soul and a cordial to cherish and comfort the soul and an ark to secure the soul and a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide the soul but it must be much very much of God that must be enough to satisfie the soul The fifth and last Reason Why the Reas 5 Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some sense of his love and some assurance of his favor in Ordinances is That they may have wherewithal to silence and stop the mouths of wicked and ungodly men whose words are Mal. 3. 13 14. stout against the Lord who say it is in vain to serve God and what profit is there in keeping his Statutes and Ordinances and in walking mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Now the The Saints by the gracious Experiences that they have of the sweet breathings of God upon them in Ordinances are able to confute muzzle halter or button up the mouths of vain and wicked men who say unto the Lord Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways Lord causes his face to shine upon his people in Ordinances that they may stand up and bear him witness before the wicked world that he is no hard Master that he reaps not where he sows not In Ordinances he kisses them and there he gives them his love and makes known his goodness and glory that his Children may from their own experiences be able to confute all the lies and clamors of wicked men against God and his ways And blessed be God that hath not left himself without witness but hath many thousands that can stand up before all the What is the Almighty that we shouâ—d serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him Job 21. 14 15. world and declare That they have seen the beauty and glory of God in his Sanctuary that they have met with those joys and comforts in the ways of God that do as far surpass all other joys and comforts as light does darkness as Heaven does Hell That they have met with such heart meltings such heart humblings such heart revivings such heart cheerings as they never met with before in all their days Ah say these Souls One day in his Courts is better then a thousand years elswhere O! we had rather with Moses loose all and be whipped and stripped of all then lose the sweet enjoyments of God in Ordinances O! in them God hath been Light and Life a Joy and a Crown to our Souls God is tender of his own glory and of his Childrens comfort and therefore he gives them such choice aspects and such sweet visits in Ordinances that they may have Arguments at hand to stop the mouths of sinners and to declare from their own experience that all the ways of God are ways of pleasantness Prov 3. 17. Psal 65. 11. and that all his paths drops fatness And thus much for the Reasons Why God lifts up the light of his countenance upon his people in Ordinances before I pass to the next particular it will be necessary that I lay down these Cautions to prevent weak Saints from stumbling and doubting who have not yet found the Lord giving out his favors and making known his Grace and Love in such a sensible way to their souls in breaking the Bread of Life as others have found Now the first Caution I shall lay Caut. 1. down is this That even Believers may sometimes come and go from this Ordinance without that comfort that assurance that joy that refreshment that others have and may meet with And this may arise partly from their 2 Chro. 30. 19 20. 1 Cor. 11. 20. to ult unpreparedness and unfitness to meet with God in the Ordinance and partly from their playing and dallying with some bosom sin or else it may arise from their not stirring up themselves to lay hold on God as the Prophet Isaiah complains There is none Isa 64. 7. that calleth upon thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee or else it may arise from the Spirits standing at Sam. 1. 16. a distance from the Soul it may be O soul that thou hast set the Comforter the Spirit a mourning and therefore it is that he refuses to comfort thee and to be a sealing and witnessing spirit unto thee Thou hast grieved him with thy sins and he will now vex thee by his silence thou hast thrown his Cordials against the Psal 77. 2. wall thou hast trampled his Manna under thy feet and therefore it is that he
applying precious promises and suitable remedies to all your maladies Have you not found God a bringing in unexpected mercy in the day of your adversity suitable to that promise Hosea 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her or I will earnestly speak to her heart as the Hebrew reads it yes Have you not found that God hath so sweetned and sanctified afflictions to you as to make them a means to discover many sins that lay hid and to purge you from many sins that cleaved close unto you and to prevent you from falling into many sins that would have been the breaking of your bones and the loss of your comfort yes Have you not found that you have Musk saith one when it hath lost its sweetness if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers it so doth afflictions recover and revive decayed graces been like the Walnut tree the better for beating and like the Vine the better for bleeding and like the ingenious childe the better for whiping yes Have you not found afflictions to revive quicken and recover your decayed graces have they not inflamed that love that hath been cold and put life into that Faith that hath been dying and quickned those hopes that have been withering and put spirits into those joyes and comforts that have been languishing yes O then stand up and declare to all the world That times of affliction have been the times wherein you have seen the face of God and heard the voice of God and sucked sweetness from the brests of God and fed upon the delicates of God and drunk deep of the consolations of God and have been most satisfied and delighted with the presence and in-comes of God When Hezekiah in his great affliction lamentingly said I shall go mourning Isai 38. 9. to 21. to my grave I shall not see the Lord in the Land of the living he will cut me off with pining sickness he will break all my bones Like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me So now God comes in a way of mercy to him and prints his love upon his heart Vers 17. Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption or rather as the Hebrew reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it Thou hast loved my soul from the grave for thou hast cast all my sins behinde thy back Ah says Hezekiah I have now found that in my afflictions thy affections have been most strongly carried towards me as towards one whom thou art exceedingly taken with O now thou hast warmed me with thy love and visited me with thy grace thou hast made my darkness to be light and turned my sighing into singing and my mourning into rejoycing So when Habakkuks belly trembled Hab 3. 16 17 18. and his lips quivered and rottenness entered into his bones and all Creature comforts failed yet then had he such a sweet presence of God with his Spirit as makes him to rejoyce in the midst of sorrows Yet says he I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation And thus you see it clear That in times of affliction God makes sweet manifestations of his love and favor to his Childrens souls Eighthly Praying times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some sweet and comfortable assurance of his love and favor towards them Prayer crowns Nunquam abs te absque te recedo Bern. ep 116. O Lord saith he I never go away from thee without thee He was a man very much in prayer as some Writers observe God with the honor and glory that is due to his Name and God crowns prayer with assurance and comfort usually the most praying souls are the most assured souls There is no service wherein souls have such a neer familiar and friendly entercourse with God as in this of prayer neither is there any service wherein God doth more delight to make known his grace and goodness his mercy and bounty his beauty and glory to poor souls then this of prayer The best and sweetest flowers of paradise God gives to his people when they are upon their knees Prayer is Porta coeli clavis padisi the Gate of Heaven a Key to let us into paradise when John was weeping in prayer doubtless the Sealed Book was open to him Many Christians have found by experience praying times to be sealing times times wherein God hath sealed up to them the remission of their sins and the salvation of their souls They have found prayer to be a shelter to their souls a sacrifice to God a sweet savor to Christ a scourge to Satan and an in-let to assurance God loves to lade the wings of prayer with the choicest and chiefest blessings Ah! how often Christians hath God kist you at the beginning of prayer and spoke peace to you in the midst of prayer and filled you with joy and assurance upon the close of prayer That nineth of Daniel from the seventeenth to the four and twentieth verse is full to the point in hand I shall onely cite the words of the four last Verses And whilest I was speaking and praying Dan. 9. 20. and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the Holy Mountain of my God Yea whilest I was speaking in prayer even the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the begining 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With weariness or flight tired as it were with his making speed being caused to flie swiftly touched me about the time of the Evening Oblation And he informed me and talked with me and said O Daniel I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth and I am come to shew thee for thou art greatly beloved therefore understand the Matter and consider the Vision In these words you see whilest Daniel was in prayer the Lord appears to him and gives him a Divine touch and tells him That he is a man greatly beloved or as the Hebrew hath it a man of desires So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chamudoth a man of desires that is one singularly beloved of God one that is very pleasing and delightful to God Act 10. 1 2 3 4. There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band a devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much alms to the people and prayed to God alway He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an Angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him Cornelius And when he looked on him he was afraid and said What is it Lord And he said unto him Thy
prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God Praying Vide Calvin and Oecumeâ—ius on these words Cornelius you see is remembred by God and visited sensibly and evidently by an Angel and assured that his prayers and good deeds are not onely anodor a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable and well-pleasing to God but also that they shall be gloriously rewarded by God So when Peter was Vers 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 of Acts 1. praying he fell into a trance and saw Heaven opened and had his minde elevated and all the faculties of his soul filled with a Divine Revelation so when Paul was a praying he sees a Acts 9 11 12 13 14 15 19. vision Ananias a coming and laying his hands on him that he might receive his sight Paul had not been long at prayer before it was revealed to him that he was a chosen Vessel before he was filled with the voice and comforts of the Holy Ghost so our Saviour Luke 17. was transfigured as he was praying Thus you see that praying times are times wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon his people and to cause his grace and favor his goodness and kindness to rest on them as the spirit of Elijah did rest on Elisha 2 Kings 2. 15. But some may object and say We have Object been at the door of mercy early and late for assurance and yet we have not obtained it we have prayed and waited and we have waited and prayed we have prayed and mourned and we have 〈…〉 ed and prayed and yet we cannot get a good word from God a smile from God he hath covered himself with a cloud and after all that we have done it is still night with our souls God seems not to â—e at home he seems not to value our prayers we call and cry and shout out for assurance and Lam. 3. 8. yet he shutteth out our prayer We are sure That we have not found praying times to be times of assurance to our souls c. Now to this Objection I shall give Answ I It is better to ask and not receive then to receive and noâ— ask Clâ—m these answers first that it may be you have been more earnest and vehement for assurance and the effects of it viz. Joy comfort and peâ—ce then you have been for grace and holiness for communion with God and conformity to God it may be your requests for assurance have been full of life and spirits when your request for grace and holiness for communion with God and conformity to God have been liveness and spiritless If so no wonder that assurance is denied you Assurance makes most for your comfort but holiness makes most for Gods honor mans holiness is now his greatest happiness and in Heaven mans greatest happiness will be his perfect holiness Assurance is the daughter of Holiness and he that shall more highly prize and more earnestly press after the enjoyment of the daughter then the mother it is not a wonder if God shuts the door upon him and crosses him in the thing he most desires The surest and the shortest way to assurance is to wrastle and contend with God for holiness as the Angel contended Judg. 2. 9. with the Devil about the body of Moses When the stream and cream of a mans spirit runs after holiness it will not be long night with that man the Sun of Righteousness will shine Mal. 4. 2. forth upon that man and turn his winter into summer and crown him with the Diadem of Assurance The more holy any person is the more excellent The Jews have a saying That those seventy souls that went down to Egypt were more worth then the seventy Nations of the world he is all corruptions are diminutions of excellency the more mixt any thing is the more it is abased as if Gold and Tin be mixed and the more pure it is as meer Gold the more glorious it is Now the more divinely excellent any man is the more fit he is to enjoy the choicest and the highest favors Assurance is a Jewel of that value that he will bestow Psal 16 3. Revel 3. 18. it upon none but his excellent ones Assurance is that tried gold that none can wear but those that win it in a way of grace and holiness It may be if thou hadst minded and endeavored more after communion with God and conformity to God thou mightest before this time have looked upward and seen God in Christ smiling upon thee and have looked inward into thy own soul and seen the Spirit of Grace witnessing to thy spirit Rom 8. 15 16 17. that thou wert a Son an Heir an Heir of God and a joynt heir with Christ But thou hast minded more thy own comfort then Christs honor thou hast minded the blossoms and the fruit Assurance and Peace more then Christ the Root thou hast minded the Springs of comfort more then Christ the Fountain of life thou hast minded the beams of the Sun more then the Sun of Righteousness and therefore it is but a righteous thing with God to leave thee to walk in a valley of darkness to hide his face from thee and to seem to be as an enemy to thee But secondly I answer It may be Answ 2 thou art not yet fit for so choice a mercy thou art not able to bear so great a favor many heads are not able to bear strong-waters why the very quintessence of all the strong consolations Job 15. 11. Divine comfort is a delicate thing and it is not given to him that admits of any other of God are wrung out into this golden cup of assurance and can you drink of this cup and not stammer nor stagger Believe it assurance is meat for strong men few babes if any are able to bear it and digest it The Apostle saith That strong meat belongeth Heb. 5. 12 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that are of full age or that are comparatively perfect or full grown even those who by reason of use Greek by reason of habit which is got by continual custom and long practice have their senses exercised to discorn both good and evil The Greek word properly signifies such an exercise as wrestlers or such as contend for victory do use which is with all their might and strength being trained up unto it by long exercise It may be O complaining 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3. Christian that thou art but a scrub a babe in grace happily thou art not yet got beyond the brest or if thou art yet thou art not past the Spoon Ah Christian if it be thus Invalidum omne natura querulum Seneca Weak spirits are ever quarrelling and contending with thee cease complaining of the want of assurance and be up and growing be more aged in gracâ— and holiness and thou shalt finde assurance growing
perfect in weakness which filled his heart with joy and gladness The hidden Manna the New name and the Revel 2. 17. White stone is given to the conqueror to him that hath fought with principalities Ephes 6. 12. and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places and is come off with his garments dipt in blood After the Roman Generals had gotten victory over their enemies the Senate did use not one way but many ways to express their loves to them So after our Faith hath gotten victory over Satan God usually takes the soul in his arms and courts it and shews much kindness to it Now the soul shall be carried in triumph now the Chariot of state attends the soul now White Revel 3. 5. 7. 9. rayment is put upon the soul now Palms are put into the Conquerors hands now the Garland is set upon the Conquerors head and now a Royal feast is provided where God will set the Conqueror at the upper end of the Table and speak kindly and carry it sweetly towards him as one much affected and taken with his victory over the Prince of darkness Conflicts with Satan are usually the As many have found by experience sharpest and the hottest they spend and waste most the vital and noble spirits of the Saints and therefore the Lord after such conflicts doth ordinarily give his people his choicest and his strongest Cordials And thus by Divine assistance we have shewed you the special times and seasons wherein the Lord is graciously pleased to give his people some tastes of his love some sweet assurance that they are his favorites that all is well and shall be for ever well between him and them and that though many things may trouble them yet nothing shall separate them from their God their Christ their Crown CHAP. III. Containing the several Hinderances and Impediments that keep poor souls from Assurance with the Means and Helps to remove those Impediments and Hinderances NOw the first impediment 1. Impediment and hinderance to Assurance that we shall instance in is Despairing thoughts of mercy O these imprison the Soul and make it always dark night with the Soul these shut the windows of the Soul that no light can come in to cheer it Despairing There is a threefold Despair 1. Worldly 2. Moral 3. Spiritual And this last is the worst and greatest thoughts make a man fight against God with his own weapons they make a man cast all the Cordials of the Spirit against the wall as things of no value they make a man suck poyson out of the sweetest promises they make a man eminent in nothing unless it be in having hard thoughts of God and in arguing against his own Soul and happiness and in turning his greatest advantages into disadvantages his greatest helps into his greatest hinderances Despairing It makes a man call good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness light sweet bitter and bitter sweet a Saviour a destroyer a Redeemer a revenger c. thoughts of mercy make a man a beast yea below the beast that perisheth Pliny speaks of the Scorpion that there is not one minute wherein it doth not put forth the sting as being unwilling to lose any opportunity of doing mischief Such Scorpions are despairing souls they are still a putting out their sting a rangling with God or Christ or the Scripture or the Saints or Ordinances or their own Souls A despairing soul is Magor Missabib a terror to himself it cannot rest but like Noahs Ark is always tost here and there it is troubled on every side it is full of fears and fightings A despairing soul is a burden to others but the greatest burden to it self it is still a vexing terrifying tormenting condemning and perplexing it self Despair makes every sweet A despairing soul is like the spider that draws poyson out of the sweetest flowers bitter and every bitter exceeding bitter it puts Gall and Wormwood into the sweetest Wine and it puts a sting a cross into every cross Now whilest the soul is under these despairing thoughts of mercy how is it possible that it should attain to a well-grounded assurance therefore for the helping of the soul out of this despairing condition give me leave a little to expostulate with despairing souls Tell me O despairing souls is not despair an exceeding vile and contemptible sin is it not a dishonor to God a reproach to Christ and a murderer of souls is it not a belying of God a denying of Christ and a crowning of Satan it doth without doubt proclaim the Devil a Conqueror and lifts him up above Christ himself Despair is an evil that flows Despair is Satans master-piece it carries men he adlong to hell it makes a man twice told a childe of hell it is a Viper that hath stinged many a man to death from the greatest evil in the world it flows from unbelief from ignorance and mis-apprehensions of God and his Grace and from mistakes of Scripture and from Satan who being for ever cast out of paradise labors with all his art and might to work poor souls to despair of ever entring into paradise O despairing souls let the greatness of this sin effectually awaken you and provoke you to labor as for life to come out of this condition which is as sinful as it is doleful and as much to be hated as to be lamented Again tell me O despairing souls Acts 2. Plus peccavit Judas desperando quà m prodendo Christum saith one hath not despairing Judas perished when as the murderers of Christ believing on him were saved Did not Judas sin more hainously by despairing then by betraying of Christ Despairing Spira is damned when repentting Manasseh is saved O despairing souls the arms of mercy are open to receive a Manasseh a Monster a Devil incarnate he caused that Gospel Prophet Isaiah to be sawed in the midst with a Saw as some Rabbins say he turned aside from the Lord to commit 2 Chro 33. 1 to 15. Idolatry and caused his sons to pass thorow the fire and dealt with familiar spirits and made the streets of Jerusalem to overflow with innocent blood The soul of Mary Magdalen Mark 6. 9. was full of Devils and yet Christ casts them out and made her heart his house his presence Chamber why dost thou then say there is no hope for thee O despairing soul Paul was full Acts 1. 1 2. 26. 11. of rage and malice against Christ his people and ways and he was full of blasphemy and impiety and yet behold Paul is a chosen Vessel Paul is 1 Tim. 1. 13 15 16. caught up into the third Heaven and he is filled with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost Why shouldst thou then say there is for thee no help O despairing soul Though the Prodigal Luke 15. 13 14. had run from his Father and spent and wasted all his estate in ways
with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins And as they are pardoned freely so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The gracious gift of God Charisma signifies a gift flowing from the free-grace and favor of God John 10. 28. they shall be saved freely Rom. 6. ult For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus you see O despairing souls that all is of free-grace from the lowest to the highest round in Jacobs Ladder all is of Grace Christ is a Donative the Covenant of grace is a Donative Pardon of sin is a Donative Heaven and Salvation is a Donative Why then O despairing souls should you sit down sighing under such black sad and dismal apprehensions of God and your own state and condition Verily seeing all happiness and blessedness comes in a way of free-grace and not in a way of doing not in a way of works you should arise Revel 21. 6. 22. 18. O despairing souls and cast off all despairing thoughts and drink of the waters of life freely What though thy heart be dead and hard and sad what though thy sins be many and thy fears great yet behold here is glorious grace rich grace wonderous grace matchless and incomparable riches of free-grace spread before thee O let this fire warm thee let these waters refresh thee let these Cordials strengthen thee that it may be day and no longer night with thee that thy mourning may be turned into rejoycing and that thy beautiful garments Isa 52. 1. may be put on that so the rest of thy days may be days of gladness and sweetness and free-grace may be an everlasting shade shelter and rest unto thee Again tell me O despairing souls do you understand and most seriously and frequently ponder upon those particular Scriptures that do most clearly sweetly and fully discover the mercies of God the bowels of God the grace and favor of God to poor sinners as that Psal 86. 5. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee Gods mercies are above all his works and above all ours too his mercy is without measures and rules All the acts and attributes of God sit at the feet of mercy the weapons of Gods artillery are turned The Rainbow is signum gratiae foederis into the Rainbow a Bow indeed but without an Arrow bent but without a string The Rainbow is an emblem of mercy it is a sign of grace and favor and an assurance that God will remember his Covenant it is fresh and green to note to us that Gods mercy and grace to poot sinners is always fresh and green Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon Nehe. 9. 16 17. But they and our Fathers dealt proudly and hardned their necks and hearkned not to thy Commandments And refused to obey neither were mindful of the wonders that thou didst among them but hardned their necks and in their rebellion appointed a Captain to return to their bondage but thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and forsookest them not Thou art a God says he ready to pardon or rather as it is in the Original and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou a God of pardons There is a very great emphasis in this Hebraism a God of pardons it shews us that mercy is essential unto God and that he is incomparable in forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Here Nehemiah sets Micah 7. 18. him forth as one made up all of pardoning grace and mercy as a circle begins every where but ends no where so do the mercies of God When Alexander did sit down before a City he did use to set up a light to give those within notice that if they came forth to him whilest that light lasted they might have quarter if otherwise no mercy was to be expected O but Luke 13. 7. Jere. 3 1. to 15. such is the mercy and patience of God to sinners that he sets up light after light and waits year after year upon them When they have done their worst against him yet then he comes with his heart full of love and his hands full of pardons and makes a proclamation of Grace that if now at last they will accept of mercy they shall have it Why then O despairing soul dost thou make thy life a hell by having such low and mean thoughts of Gods mercy and by measuring of the mercies and bowels of God by the narrow scantling of thy weak and dark understanding Again tell me O despairing souls have you seriously pondered upon those words in Isai 55. 7 8 9. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veish Aven The man of iniquity i. e. One that makes a trade of sin man or rather as it is in the Original the man of iniquity his thoughts And let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon or as it is in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He will multiply to pardon or he will increase his pardons as the sinner increases his sins He will multiply to pardon For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher then the Earth so are my ways higher then your ways and my thoughts then your thoughts Turn O despairing souls to these Scriptures Numb 14. 19 20. Exod. 34. 6 7. Micah 7. 18 19. Isai 30. 18 19. Psalm 78. 34 to 40. 103. 8. to 13. Jere. 3. 1. to 12. Luke 15. 20. to 24. 1 Tim. 1. 13. to 17. and tell me whether you have seriously and frequently pondered upon them O how can you look so much grace and mercy so much love and favor and such tender bowels of compassion in the face as appears in these Scriptures and yet rack and tear your precious souls with despairing thoughts O there is so much grace and goodness so much love and favor so much mercy and glory sparkling and shining thorow these Scriptures as may allay the strongest fears and scatter the thickest darkness and chear up the saddest spirits c. Again tell me O despairing souls do you not do infinite wrong to the 1 Pet. 1. 19. precious blood of the Lord Jesus Three things are called precious in the Scripture the blood of Christ is called precious blood and faith is called precious 2 Pet. 1. 1 4. faith and the promises are called precious promises Now what a reproach is it to this precious blood that speaks better things then the blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. for you to faint and sink under the power of delpair what doth this speak out O doth it not proclaim to all
the world that there is no such worth and vertue no such power and Una guâ—tula plus valet quam caelum terra Luther efficacy in the blood of Christ as indeed there is O how will you answer this to Christ in that day wherein his blood shall speak and plead not onely with the profane that have trodden it under their feet but also with despairing Heb. 10. 29. souls that have undervalued the power vertue and merit of it Hath not the blood of Jesus Christ washed 1 John 1. 7 8 9. away the sins of a world of notorious sinners and is it not of vertue to wash away the sins of one sinner Hath it Sanguis Christi clavis coeli The blood of Christ is the Key of Heaven that hath let in millions Revel 7 9. Isai 66 8. A nation shall be born in a day When the Jews shall be converted a very glorious converting power shall accompany the means of salvation that Christ may rain from Sea to Sea c. had that vertue and power in it as to bring many thousands to glory already and is there not so much vertue left in it as to bring thy soul to glory Hath it actually delivered such a multitude from wrath to come as cannot be numbred and is the vertue of it so far spent as that it cannot reach to thy deliverance Are there not yet millions of thousands that shall hereafter be actually saved and justified by this blood Why then shouldst thou despair of being justified and saved from wrath to come by the vertue and power of this precious blood There were five Monks that were studying what was the best means to mortifie sin One said To meditate on death the second To meditate on judgement the third To meditate of the joyes of Heaven the fourth To meditate on the torments of Hell the fifth To meditate on the blood and sufferings of Jesus Christ and certainly the last is the choicest and strongest motive of all to the mortifying of sin O despairing souls despairing souls if ever you would cast off your despairing thoughts and get out of your present hell then dwell much muse much and apply much this precious blood to your own souls So shall sorrow and mourning flee Isai 5. 11. 56. 5. 60. 19 20. 62. 4 5. away and everlasting joy shall rest upon you and the Lord shall give you an everlasting name and be everlasting light and glory to you and you shall be no more called Forsaken for the Lord will rejoyce over you and be a wel-spring John 4. 21 23. of life unto you and make his abode with you and turn your sighing into singing your trembling into rejoycing and your prison into a paradise of pleasure so that your souls shall be able to stand up and say O blessed be God for Jesus Christ blessed be God for that precious blood that hath justified our persons and quieted our consciences and scattered our fears and answered our doubts and given us to triumph over Sin Hell and Death Who is Rom 8. 33 to 38. he that condemneth it is Christ that died The Apostle upon the account of Christs death of Christs blood cryes out Victory Victory he looks upon all his Enemies and sings it sweetly out Over all these we 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Supervincimus We do over-overcome are more then conquerors or above conquerors O despairing souls to all your former sins do not adde this Of making light and slight of the blood of Christ as there is no blood that saves souls like the blood of Christ so there is no blood that sinks souls like the blood of Christ a drop of this blood upon a mans head at last will make him miserable for ever but a drop of it upon a mans heart at last will make him happy for ever In the day of vengeance the Exod. 12. 7. destroying Angel will spare you if this blood be found upon the door posts of your hearts otherwise you are lost for ever Lastly I can tell you O despairing souls that God hath brought some out of the very gulf of despair out of the very belly of hell and therefore thou mayest hope that thy sins that are thy present burden shall not be thy future ruine Doth not Asaph resemble the despairing soul to the life My soul Psal 77. refused to be comforted I remembred God and was troubled I complained and my spirit was overwhelmed Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever and will his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Now out of this gulf God delivers him Verse 10. And I said This is my infirmity or this maketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me sick as it is in the Original Here Asaph checks himself for casting the cordials the comforts of the Spirit against the wall and for his having such hard sad and black thoughts of God And in the thirteenth Verse he speaks like one dropt out of Heaven Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God Formerly the thoughts of God troubled him and overwhelmed him but now at last the thoughts of the greatness of God and of his interest in God is matter of admiration and consolation to him So Heman sighs it out thus My Psal 88. All conclude that he was very holy and his soul very happy even while he was in this gulf of misery soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness in the deeps Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off And yet for all this Hemans state was good his soul was safe and happy he calls God in the same Psalm The God of his salvation So Jonah when he was in the belly of Jonah 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Garash signifies to expulse and cast out as Adam was expulsed out of paradise Gen 3. 24. It signifies an ignominious expulsion Hell concludes That he was cast out of the sight of God The sense of his sin and of Gods anger and wrath was so eminent and transcendent upon him that it even distracts him and makes him speak like a despairing soul I am cast out from the presence of the Lord I am expulsed out of Gods sight as Moses was expulsed out of Egypt God hath cast me out as one in whom he can take no pleasure nor delight as a Husband
doth a Wife that hath been false and unfaithful to him and yet Gods heart and love is so set upon Jonah that he will save him by a miracle rather then he shall not be saved Jonah was much in the heart of God and God made his faith at last victorious To these I shall adde some other famous instances In King James his time there was one Mistress Honiwood of Kent an ancient and religious Gentlewoman who lived many years in much horror and terror of Conscience for want of assurance of the favor of God and of her eternal wel-being She would very often cry out She was damned she was damned Several men of eminent piety and parts left no means unattempted whereby her doubts might be answered her conscience pacified and her soul satisfied and cheared yet she being strongly under the power of despair persisted in crying out O she was damned she was damned When these Gentlemen The truth of this whole story is notoriously known were about to depart she called for a Cup of Wine for them which being brought she drank to one of them a glass of the Wine and as soon as she had done in an extream passion she threw the Venice-glass against the ground saying As sure as this glass will break so surely am I damned The glass rebounded from the ground without any harm which one of the Ministers suddenly caught in his hand and said Behold a miracle from Heaven to confute your unbelief O tempt God no more tempt God no more Both the Gentlewoman and all the company were mightily amazed at this strange accident and all glorified God for what was done and the Gentlewoman by the grace and mercy of God was delivered out of her Hell of despair and was filled with much comfort and joy and lived and died full of peace and assurance Take another instance There lived lately at Tilbury in Essex a Gentleman who was a long time under such an eminent degree of despair that he rejected all comfort that was tendered to him by any hand and would not suffer any to pray with him nay he sent to the Ministers and Christians that lived near him and did desire them that as they would not increase his torments in Hell they would cease praying for him he would not suffer any religious service to be performed in his family though formerly himself was much in the use of them yet God gave him at last such inward refreshings and by degrees filled him with such abundance of heavenly comsorts as he told all that came to him that it was impossible for any tongue to utter or heart to imagine that did not feel them at last God gave him the new name and the white stone that none knows but he that hath it He lived about three quarters of a year enjoying Heaven upon Earth and then breathed out his last in the bosom of Christ Poor I that am but of yesterday have known some that have been so deeply plunged in the gulf of despair that they would throw all the Spiritual Cordials that have been tendered to them against the walls they were strong in reasoning against their own souls and resolved against every thing that might be a comfort and support unto them they have been much set against all Ordinances and Religious Services they have cast off holy Duties themselves and peremptorily refused to joyn with others in them yea they have out of a sense of sin and wrath which hath lain hard upon them refused the necessary comforts of this life even to the overthrow of natural life And yet out of this horrible Pit this Hell upon Earth hath God delivered their souls and given them such manifestations of his grace and favor that they would not exchange them for a thousand worlds O despairing souls despairing souls you see that others whose conditions have been as bad if not worse then yours have obtained mercy God hath turned their Hell into a Heaven he hath remembred them in their low estate he hath pacified their raging consciences and quieted their distracted souls he hath wiped all tears from their eyes and he hath been a well-spring of life unto their hearts Therefore be not discouraged O despairing souls but look up to the Mercy-seat remember who is your Rest and kick no more by despair against the bowels of Divine love Now the second Impediment to 2. Impediment 2 Sam. 14. 19. Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this You know how to apply it assurance is Mens entring into the lists of dispute with Satan about those things that are above their reach as about the Decrees and Counsel of God O by this Satan keeps many precious souls off from assurance since God hath cast him out of paradise and bound him in chains of darkness he will make use of all his skill power and experience to draw men into the same misery with himself and if he cannot prevent their entring at last into paradise above he will labor might and main to make their life a wilderness here below And to this purpose Eorum qua scire nec datur nec fas est docta est ignorantia scientiae appetentis insaniae species Aug. he will busie their thoughts and hearts about the Decrees of God and about their particular elections as whether God hath decreed them to Eternal Happiness or chosen them to Everlasting Blessedness c. That so by this means he may keep them from that desirable assurance that may yeeld beleevers two Heavens a Heaven of joy and comfort here and a Heaven of felicity and glory hereafter It is said of Marcellus the Roman General that he could not be quiet nec victor nec victus neither conquered nor conqueror Such a one is Satan if he be conquered by Faith yet he will be assaying if he conquers he will be roaring and triumphing Satans great design is eternally to ruine souls and where he cannot do that there he will endeavor to discomfit souls by busying them about the secret Decrees and Counsels of God if the soul break thorow his temptations as Davids â— Sam. 24. Worthies did break thorow the Hosts of the Philistims and snap his snares Judg. 15. 13 14. in sunder as Samson did his Cords then his next shift is to engage them in such debates and disputes that neither men nor Angels can certainly and infallibly determine that so he may spoil their comforts when he cannot take away their Crown Now thy wisdom and thy work O doubting soul lieth not in disputing but in believing praying and waiting on God No way to Heaven no way to assurance like this Adam disputes with Satan and falls and loses Paradise Job believes and resists Satan and stands and conquers upon the Dunghil When Satan O trembling soul would engage thee in disputes about this or that say to him Satan Deut. 29. 29. Revealed things belong to me but secret things belong to the
Lord. It is dangerous to be curious in prying into hidden matters and careless and negligent in observing known Laws say to him Satan thou hast been a lyer and a murderer John 8. from the beginning thou art a profest enemy to the Saints confidence and assurance to their consolation and salvation If thou hast any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my comfort and crown my joy and strength my redeemer and intercessor and he shall plead for me Ah Christians if you would but leave disputing and be much in believing and in obeying assurance would attend you and you should Lye down in peace and take Job 11. 13. to 20. your rest and none should make you afraid The third Impediment that keeps 3. Impediment poor souls from Assurance is the want of a thorow search and examination of their own souls and of what God hath done and is a doing in them Some there be that can read better in Conradus Motto was a notable rule Omnium mores tues imprimis observato observe all mens carriages but especially thy own other mens Books then in their own and some there be that are more critical and curious in observing and studying other mens tempers hearts words works and ways then their own This is a sad evil and causes many souls to sit down in darkness even days without number He that will not seriously and frequently observe the internal motions and actings of God in and upon his noble part his immortal soul may talk of assurance and complain of the want of assurance but it will be long before he shall obtain assurance O you staggering wavering souls you tossed and disquieted souls know for a certain that you will never come to experience the sweetness of assurance till your eyes be turned inward till you live more at home then abroad till you dig and search for the Mines that be in your own hearts till you come to discern between a work of Nature and a work of Grace till you come to put a difference between the precious and the vile between Gods work and Satans work When this is done you will finde the clouds to scatter and the Sun of Righteousness to shine upon you and the Day-star of assurance to rise in you Doubting trembling souls do not deceive your selves it is not a careless slight slender searching into your own hearts that will enable you to see the deep the secret the curious the mysterious work of God upon you If you do not seek as for silver and search for Prov. 2. 3 4 5. Christ and grace as for hid treasures you will not finde them Your richest So saith Pliny Seneca and others mettals lie lowest your choicest gems are in the bowels of the Earth and they that will have them must search diligently and dig deep or else they must go without them Doubting souls you must search and search again and dig and dig again you must work and sweat and sweat and work if ever you will finde those Spiritual Treasures those Pearls of price that are hid under the ashes of corruption that lie low in the very bowels of your souls Tell me O doubting souls hath that sweet word of the Apostle been ever made to stick in power upon you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pierce tâ—orow c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prove and try as Gold-smiths trie their mettal by the fire and the touchstone God brings not a pair of scales to weigh our graces but a touchstone to try our graces if our gold be true though it be never so little it will pass currant with him He will not quench the smoaking flax c. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith or Whether Faith be in you prove your selves c. The precept is here doubted to shew the necessity excellency and difficulty of the work to shew that it is not a superficial but a thorow serious substantial Examination that must inable a man to know whether he hath precious Faith or no whether he be Christs Spouse or the Devils strumpet All is not gold that glisters all is not Faith that men call Faith therefore he that would not prove a cheater to his own soul must take some pains to search and examine how all is within Climacus reports that the Ancients used to keep in a little Book a memorial of what they did in the day against their night reckoning But ah how few be there in these days that keeps a Diary of Gods mercies and their own infirmities of Spiritual Experiences and the inward operations of Heavenly Graces Seneca reports of a Heathen man that would every night ask himself these three Questions First What evil hast thou healed this day secondly What vice hast thou stood against this day thirdly In what part art thou bettered this day And shall not Christians take pains with their own hearts and search day and night to finde out what God hath done and is a doing there God hath his doing hand his working hand in every mans heart either he is a working there in ways of mercy or in ways of wrath either he is a building up or a plucking down either he is a making all glorious within or else he is a turning all into a Hell Well doubting souls remember this That the soundest joy the strongest consolations flow from a thorow examination of things within This is the way to know how it is with you for the present and how it is like to go with you for the future This is the way to put an end to all the wranglings of your hearts and to put you into a possession of Heaven on this side Heaven The fourth Impediment that keeps 4. Impediment many precious souls from Assurance is their mistakes about the work of grace Look as many Hypocrites do take a good nature for grace and those common gifts and graces that may be in a Saul a Jehu a Judas for a special distinguishing grace c. So the dear Saints of God are very apt to take grace for a good nature to take Pearls of price for stones of no value Mark 9. 24. to take special grace for common grace Many trembling souls are apt to call their Faith unbelief with the man in the Gospel and their Confidence presumption and their Zeal passion c. And by this means many are kept off from Assurance Now the way to remove this Impediment is wisely and seriously to distinguish between renewing grace and restraining grace betwixt common grace and special grace betwixt temporary grace and sanctifying grace Now the difference betwixt the one and the other I have shewed in Ten particulars in my * The same man sells that that sells this Treatise called Precious remedies against Satans devices from page 217. to page 230. And to that I refer thee for full and
the soul makes a man sit cheerful and thankful Noah-like in the midst of all tempests and storms Look as the playing with a bosom sin speaks out Hypocrisie so the mortifying of a bosom sin speaks ouâ— Sincerity The second Motive to provoke Motive 2. doubting souls to trample upon their bosom sins is Solemnly to consider that the conquests of their darling sins will render the conquests of other sins easie When Goliah was slain the rest 1 Sam. 17. 51 52. of the Philistims fled when a General in an Army is cut off the common Souldiers are easily routed and destroyed Ah complaining doubting The Lacedemoniaâ—s in all battles resolved to go home conquerors or to die conquered souls did you but take the courage and resolution to fall with all your might and spiritual strength upon those particular sins that stick so close unto you and that do so easily captivate you you would finde that the great Mountains Zach 4 7. that are before you would soon be made a Plain Other sins will not be long lived when Justice is done upon your bosom sins thrust but a dart thorow the heart of Absalom 2 Sam. 18. 14. ult and a compleat conquest will follow The third Motive to provoke you Motive 3. to crucifie your bosom sins be they what they will is Seriously to consider the very great damage that your souls have already sustained by your bosom sins Saul by casting an amorous Some there be that had rather lose their hearts then their conceits others had rather lose their souls then their sins these shall be chronicled in hell for Fools and Bedlams eye upon Agag lost his Crown and Kingdom Samson by dallying with his Delilah lost his strength sight light liberty and life But what are these losses to thy loss of Spiritual strength to thy loss of communion with God to thy loss of the Spirit of Light Life Liberty and Glory to thy loss of Joy unspeakable and Peace that passes understanding and to thy loss of those fresh and sparkling hopes of glory that were once sparkling in thy Brest Mark Anthony was so far bewitched with his Cleopatra that in the heat of the battle of Actium when the Empire of the world his life and all lay at stake that he fled from Augustus to pursue her to the ruine and loss of all So many there are so bewitched to some Cleopatra to some darling sin or other that they pursue the enjoyment of them to the loss of God Christ Heaven and their Souls for ever Ah Christians that the sense of what you have formerly lost and of what you daily loose by your playing with sin might provoke you to set upon some effectual course for the mortifying of them It was a blasphemous speech of Henry the second who said when Mentz his City was taken That he should never love God any more who suffered a City so dear to him to be taken from him But it will be a blessed and a happy thing for you in uprightness to say O we will never love we will never favor we will never dally with our bosom sins more for they have damnified us in our Spiritual enjoyments and in our Spiritual returns from Heaven Shall the sense Nay how many in these days are mad against publick Instruments for seeming losses of outward losses by this and that instrument work us out of love with them and shall not the senâ—e of our Spiritual losses by bosom sins work us much more out with them Ah Lord of what Iron mettal is that heart that can look upon those sad losses that hath attended playing with bosom sins and yet still dally with those Delilahs The fourth Motive to provoke you Motive 4. The Heathens as many Professors now had not the right art of mortifying sin Sapientia eorum plerumque abscondit vitia non abscindit All their wisdom was to hide a lust not to quench it therefore their joy was like the crackling of thorns under a pot to be the death of your darling sins is Solemnly to consider that the conquest and effectual mortifying of one bosom sin will yeeld a Christian more glorious joy comfort and peace then ever he hath found in the gratifying and committing of all other sins The pleasure and sweetness that follows victory over sin is a thousand times beyond that seeming sweetness that is in the gratifying of sin The joy that attends the subduing of sin is a noble joy a pure joy a peculiar joy an increasing joy and a lasting joy but that joy that attends the committing of sin is an ignoble joy a corrupt joy a decreasing joy a dying joy the truth is were there the least real joy in sin there could be no perfect Hell where men shall most perfectly sin and be most perfectly tormented with their sin Ah doubting Christians as ever The Leper under the Law was still to keep his hair shaven Levit. 14 5. So should we be still a cutting and shaving that though the roots of sin remain yet they may not grow and sprout you would have good days as ever you would walk in the light as ever you would like the Angels have always Harps in your hands and Allelujahs in your mouths be restless till in the Spirit and Power of Jesus you have brought under the sin that sticks so close unto you Remember this nothing below the conquest of bosom sins can make a jubilee in the heart it is not a mans whining and complaining over sin but his mortifying of sin that will make his life a paradise of pleasure If notwithstanding all that hath been said you are still resolved to dally with sin then you must resolve to live as a stranger to God and as a stranger to assurance and peace You must expect sad trials without and sore troubles within you must expect to finde Satan playing his part both as a Lion and as a Serpent both as a Devil and as an Angel of light you must expect either no news from Heaven or but bad news from Heaven and you must expect that Conscience Conscience is Index Judex Vindex will play the part both of a scolding Wife and of a Lion that wants his prey And this shall be your just reward for playing with sin if you like the reward then take your course and dally with sin still if otherwise then sacrifice your Isaac The fifth Motive to work you to Motive 5. Some Heathens and many profane persons have earnestly desired that they had done that at first that they would fain have done at last but could not the worst would be good and do good at last But at last they will be found the best and wisest who have made it their business to do that every day that every one would do upon a dying day trample upon your bosom sins is Wisely to consider that it is your duty and glory to do that every day
Sword in his hand ready to execute the vengeance written I have read I judge as in this world so in Hell the most self flattering souls will be the most miserable souls of a mad-man at Athens that laid claim to every rich ship that came into the Harbor when as he was poor and had no part in any Ah this age is full of such mad souls that lay claim to God and Christ and the Promises and Gospel Priviledges and all the glory of another world when they are poor and blinde and miserable and wretched and naked when they are Christless and Graceless c. Ah Christians doth it not therefore stand you much upon to labor for a wel-grounded Assurance that so you may not miscarry to all eternitie but may at last be found worthy to receive a Crown Matâ—h 25. 21 23. of glory and to enter into your Masters joy which is a joy too great and too glorious to enter into you and therefore you must enter into it The second Motive to provoke Motive 2. Christians to get a wel-grounded Assurance is this Consider that there be a great many soul-flatterers soul-deceivers and soul-cheaters in the world the Devil hath put his angelical Leo the Emperor used to say Occulti immici pessimâ— A close enemy is far worse then an open robes upon many of his cheif factors that they may the more easily and the more effectually deceive and delude the souls of men This age affords many sad testimonies of this Ah what multitudes be there that to some bleer-eies appear as Angels of light and yet in their principles and practises are but servants to the Prince Matth. 23. 15. of darkness laboring with all their might to make Proselytes for Hell and to draw men to those wilde notions opinions and conceits that will leave them short of Heaven yea bring them down to the hottest darkest and lowest place in Hell if God do not by a miracle prevent it therefore you had need look about you and see that you get a wel-grounded Assurance and suffer not Satan to put a cheat upon your immortal souls Christ hath foretold us That in the last days there shall arise false Matth. 24. 23 24. Christs and false Prophets that shall say Lo here is Christ and lo there is Christ Luke 4. 21. And verily this Scripture is this day fulfilled in your ears Ah how many blasphemous wretches have there been in these daies that have asserted themselves to be the very Christ and it is to me no little miracle that the very Earth hath not opened her mouth and swallowed up such monsters such firebrands of Hell The Apostle tells Ephes 4. 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Cogging with a Dy. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you of some that lie in wait to deceive by such slights as cheaters and false gamesters use at Dice he tells you of cunning craftie men that do diligently watch all advantages to work draw and win weak and unstable souls to those opinions principles and practises that tend to drown them in everlasting perdition Satans disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and agents are notable methodmongers they have a method of deceiving they are Doctors in all the Arts of cousenage and they will leave no means unattempted whereby they may draw men to build upon hay 1 Cor. 3. 15. and stubble upon this opinion and that notion c. that so men and their works may burn for ever together It is reported of King Canutus that he promised to make him the highest man in England who should kill King Edmund Ironside his corrival which when one had performed and expected his reward he commanded him to be hung on the highest Tower in London So Satan and his factors they promise poor souls that such and such opinions and notions c. will thus and thus advantage them and advance them but in the close poor Valerians word was Non acerba sed blanda Not bitter but flattering words do all the mischâ—if This many have found true by woful experience souls shall finde the promised Crown turned into a halter the promised comfort turned into torment the promised glory turned into ignominy the promised exaltation turned into desolation the promised Heaven turned into a Hell This age is full of soul-flatterers of soul-undoers who like evil Chyrurgions skin over the wound but kill the patient Flattery undid Ahab and Herod and Nero and Alexander Those flatterers that told Dionysius that his Epistle was as sweet as Anastasius his Motto was Mellitum venenum blanda oratio Smooth talk often proves sweet poyson Many in these days have found it so Honey undid him and those flatterers that told Caesar that his freckles in his face were like the Stars in the Firmament ruined him And ah how many yong and old in these days have been lost and undone by those soul-flatterers that lie in wait to ensnare and deceive the souls of men Oh that this very consideration might be set home by the hand of the Spirit with that life and power upon your souls as effectually to stir and provoke you to get a wel-grounded assurance of your happiness and blessedness that so you may stand fast like the house built upon the Rock in the midst of all Matth 7. 24 25. tempests and storms that nothing may unsettle you nor disquiet you and that none may take away your Crown Revel 3. 11. The third Motive to stir you up to Motive 3. get a wel-grounded assurance is this Consider that a wel-grounded assurance of your happiness and blessedness will ease you and free you of a threefold burden It will free you first from a burden of cares secondly from a burden of fears thirdly from a burden of doubts Now the burden of cares Ah Christian causes thee to sit down sighing and groaning Matth. 13. 22. ah how doth the cares of getting this and that and the cares of keeping this and that worldly content disturb and distract vex and rack the souls of men that live under the power of carking cares Oh but now assurance of better things makes the soul sing care away as that Martyr said My John Careless in a Letter to Mr. Philpot. Acts Mon. fol. 1743. soul is turned to her rest I have taken a sweet nap in Christs lap and therefore I will now sing away care and will be careless according to my name Assurance of a Kingdom of a Crown is a fire that burns up all those cares that ordinarily fill the head and distract the heart There is no way to get off the burden of cares but by getting assurance Again Assurance will free you from the burden of fears as well as from the burden of cares Now your hearts are filled with fears of possessing the Creature with fears of wanting the Creature with fears of losing the Creature c. And these fears makes many
Morning is faln from the top of Glory to the bottom of misery and therefore he strives to make all as miserable and unhappy as himself Ah Christians have not you need It is a true Maxime He findes his enemy strong at a dear rate who contemns him as weak to seek Assurance with all your might who have to do with so mightie an adversary who cares not what torments he heaps upon himself so he may prove your tormentor by keeping your souls and assurance asunder O that this very consideration might make you restless till you have got this White Stone in your bosoms The fifth Motive to provoke you to Motive 5. get a wel-grounded assurance is this Consider that a wel-grounded assurance is a Jewel of that incomparable value it is such a Pearl of price as will abundantly recompence the soul for all the cost and charge it shall be at to enjoy it I the enjoyment of Hujusmodi lucri dulcis odor The smell of this gain is sweet to many then what is assurance it self c. assurance in that hour when the soul shall sit upon thy trembling lips ready to take her leave of thee and all the world will richly recompence thee for all those prayers tears sighs and groans that thou hast breathed out in one place or another in one service or another Surely the Gold in the Mine will recompence the Digger the Crown at the end will recompence the Runner the Fruit in the Vineyard will recompence the Dresser the Corn in the Barn will recompence the Reaper and the increase of the Flock will recompence the Shepherd so Assurance at last will abundantly recompence the soul for all its knocking weeping and waiting at Mercies door God will never suffer the Seed Isai 45. 19. of Jacob to seek his face in vain There is a reward not onely in keeping Psal 19. 11. but also for keeping of his commands Joseph for his thirteen years Matth. 25. 34 to 41. Revel 3. 11 12 imprisonment had the honor to reign fourscore years like a King David for his seven years banishment had a glorious reign of forty years continuance Daniel for his lying a few hours among the Lions is made cheif President over a hundred and twenty Princes The three Children for taking a few turns in the Fiery Furnace are advanced to great dignitie and glory Ah doubting souls pray hard pull hard work hard for Assurance the pay will answer the pains Christ will sooner or later say to thee as the King of Israel said to the King of Syria I am 1 Kings 20. 4. thine and all that I have I am thine O doubting soul sayes Christ and Assurance is thine and Joy is thine my Merit is thine my Spirit is thine and my Glory is thine all I am is thine and all I have is thine O this is Alvearium Divini Mellis an Hive full of Divine Comfort O this will recompence thee for all thy wrastling and sweating to obtain Assurance Augustine in his Confessions hath this notable expression How sweet was it to me of a sudden to be without those sweet vanities and those things which I was afraid to loose with joy I let go for thou who art the true and onely sweetness didst cast out those from me and instead of them didst enter in thy self who art more delightful then all pleasure and more clear then all light Ah Christians do but hold up and hold on and assurance and joy will come and thou shalt after all thy working and waiting sit down and sing it out with old Simeon Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation my heart hath found the sweetness of Assurance and now Lord let thy servant depart in peace The sixth Motive to provoke you Motive 6. to get Assurance is this Consider what labor and pains worldlings take Scripture and Histories abounds with instances of this kinde as all know that know any thing of the one or of the other to make sure the things of this life to them and theirs Ah what riding running plotting lying swearing stabbing and poysoning is used by men of this world to make sure the poor things of this world that are but shadows and dreams and meer nothings How do many with Samson lay heap upon heap to make their Crowns and Kingdoms sure to make the tottering glory of this world sure to themselves what bloody butchers do they prove they will have the Crown though they swim to it thorow blood Men will venture life and limb to make sure these things that hops from man to man as the Bird hops from twig to twig O how should this stir and provoke us to be up and doing to labor as for life to make sure spiritual and eternal things Is Earth better then Heaven is the Matth 6. 19 20. The laborious the active Christian is tempted but by one Devil but the idle slothful Christian is tempted by all saith one It is very sad when worldlings are a reaping that Saints as to spirituals should be slumbering and sleeping glory of this World greater then the glory of the World to come Are these riches more durable then those that corrupt not that are laid up in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where theeves doâ—not break thorow nor steal No. O then be ashamed Christians that worldlings are more studious and industrious to make sure Pibbles then you are to make sure Pearls to make sure those things that at last will be their burden their bane their plague their hell then you are to make sure those things that would be your joy and crown in life in death and in the day of your account Pambus in the Ecclesiastical History wept when he saw a Harlot dressed with much care and cost partly to see one take so much pains to go to Hell and partly because he had not been so careful to please God as she had been to please a wanton lover Ah Christians what great reason have you to sit down and weep bitterly that worldlings take so much pains to make themselves miserable and that you have taken no more pains to get assurance to get a pardon in your bosoms to get more of Christ into your hearts The seventh Motive to provoke you Motive 7. to get Assurance is To consider that Assurance will inable you to bear a burden without a burden As in Heb. 10. 34. For ye had compassion of So Moses and all those Worthies in the eleventh chapter me in my bonds and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Here you see that assurance of Heavenly things makes these Worthies patiently and joyfully bear a burden without a burden So the Apostles knowing that they 2 Cor. 5. 1. 6. 8 9 10 11. had a house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens went thorow honor and dishonor
cast water upon those Divine Motions that hath been 1 Thes 2. 18. kindled in you have you not often â—ound him a Lion and a Serpent a tempter and a deceiver a lyer and a murderer Yes O then never gratifie him any longer by living without assurance He that lives without assurance lives without a comfortable fruition of God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance lives upon some Creature-enjoyment more then upon God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance lives not like the beloved of God and so gratifies Satan He that lives without assurance is very apt to gratifie Satan sometimes by complying with him sometimes by following after him and sometimes by acting his part for him c. Verily Christians there is no way effectually to prevent this sore evil but by getting a wel-grounded assurance of your Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness Assurance will make a man stand upon terms of defiance with Satan it will make the soul constant in resisting and happy in over-coming the evil one And assured soul will fight it out to the death with Satan an assured soul will not flie like a coward but will stand and triumph like a David And as you gratifie Satan by living without Assurance so you wrong your own souls by living without assurance Rapit animam suaâ— He plundreth his own soul 1 In the point of comfort and joy you wrong your own souls 2 In the point of peace and content you wrong your own souls 3 In the point of boldness and confidence you wrong your own souls A man that lives without assurance lies his precious soul open to many blows and knocks to many frowns and wounds from God from the world from carnall friends from hypocrites and from Satan Therefore as you would not Christians gratify Satan and wrong your own soules and exercise over your selves spirituall cruelty and tyranny which is the very worst of all cruelty and tyranny give God no rest till hee hath made known to you the sweetnesse of his love and the secrets of his bosome till he hath gathered you up into himself till he hath set you as a seal upon Câ—nt 8. 6. his heart as a seal upon his arm The tenth Motive to provoke you Motive 10. to get a wel-grounded assurance is this consider the sweet profit and glorious advantage that will redown to you by gaining assurance and if the gain that will certainly redown to you by assurance will not provoke you to get assurance I know not what will First It will bring down Heaven into your bosomes it will give you a Heb. 11. 1 possession of Heaven on this side heaven an assured soul lives in Paradise and walks in Paradise and works in Paradise and eats in Paradise and rests in Paradise hee hath Heaven within him and Heaven about him and Heaven over him all his language is Heaven heaven Glory glory Secondly Assurance will exceedingly sweeten all the changes of this life this life is full of changes Assurance will sweeten sickness and health weakness 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. and strength wants and abundance disgrace and honour c. while a man lives in the sense of unchangeable loves no outward changes can make any considerable change in his spirit Let times change let men change leâ— powers change let Nations change yet a man under the power of assurance will not change his countenance nor change his Master nor change his work nor change his hopes though others under changes turn like the Camelion into all colours Souls that want assurance are like him in Aesop that blew hot and cold with the same breath The wind is not more subject to change and shift from one quarter to another from one corner to another then they are subject to change and shift in changing times to save their little all yet the assured soul under all changes is semper idem always the same Antistines a Philosopher to make his life happy desired onely that he might have the spirit of Socrates who was always in a quiet temper of spirit what ever wrongs injuries crosses losses c. befel him Let the trials be what they would that did attend him yet he continued one and the same Ah Christians the want of assurance hath made many changlings in these days but if ever you would be like Socrates if ever you would be like the Philosophers good man that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tetragonos Four-square that cast him where you will like a Dy he falls always sure and square then get assurance of Everlasting Happiness Assurance will make your souls like the Laws of the Medes and Persians that alters not it will sweeten the darkest day and the longest night under variety of changes it will Hab. 3. 17 8 19. make a man sit down with Habakkuk and rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of his Salvation Thirdly Assurance will keep the heart from an inordinate running out after the World and the glory thereof Moses having an assurance of the recompence of a reward and Heb 11. 24 25 26 27. of his love and favor that is invisible could not be drawn by all the honors pleasures and treasures of Egypt He slights all and tramples upon all the glory of the world as men trample upon things of no worth So after Paul had been in the 2 Cor. 12. 1 2 3. Rom. 8. Third Heaven and had assurance that no thing should separate him from the love of God in Christ he looks upon the world as a crucified thing The world is crucified to me saith Gal. 6. 14. he and I am crucified unto the world The world is dead to me and I am dead to it the world and I am well agreed the world cares not a pin for me and I care not a pin for the world The Loadstone cannot draw the Iron So when God gave Golâ—acius that Italian Maâ—quess an assurance of everlasting happiness he withstood many golden temptations and cryed out Cursed be he that prefers all the glory of the world to one days communion with Christ c. when the Diamond is in presence no more cannot the vanities of this world draw the soul after them when Assurance that choice Pearl of price is in presence I have read of Lazarus that after he was raised from the Grave he was never seen to smile the assurance that he had of more glorious things did deaden his heart to the things of this world he saw nothing in them worthy of a smile Ah were there more assurance among Christians there would not be such tugging for the world and such greedy hunting and pursuing after it as is in these days to the dishonor of God the reproach of Christ and the shame of the Gospel Justice would not be sold and bought as it is in these days were there more assurance in the world Get but more
this and live like this nothing will make a man humble and thankful contented and chearful like this nothing will make a man more serious in Prayer nor ingenuous in praises then this nothing will make â— man more chearful and joyful then this nothing will make a man fit to live and more willing to die then this Ah Christians if ever you would act as Angels in this world get an assurance of another world then you shall be dumb no more nor dull no more but be active and lively like those whose hopes and whose hearts are in Heaven Tenthly Assurance will sweeten Christ and all the precious things of Christ to thy soul Ah how sweet is Ipse Deus sufficit ad praemium Bern. It is Heaven enough to see your interest in Christ the Person of Christ the Natures of Christ the Names of Christ the Offices of Christ the Benefits of Christ the Blood of Christ the Word of Christ the Threatnings of Christ the Spirit of Christ the Ordinances of Christ the Smiles of Christ the Kisses of Christ to an assured soul Now thy Meditations on Christ will be no more a terror nor a horror to thee nay now thy heart will be always best when you are most in pondering upon the sweetness and goodness the kindness and loveliness of the Lord Jesus Now all the Institutions and Administrations of Christ will be precious to thee upon every thing where Christ hath set his Name there thou wilt set thy heart Now thou wilt call things as Christ calls them and count things as Christ counts them that shall not be little in thy eye that is great in the eye of Christ nor that shall not be great in thy eye that is but little in the eye of Christ Assurance will also exceedingly sweeten your carriage to all that bear the Image of Christ nothing Rom. 14. Assurance is like fire very operative Si non operatur non est if it do not work it is an argument it is not at all will make men bear with those weak Saints whose light is not so clear as yours whose parts are not so strong as yours whose enjoyments are not so high as yours whose judgements are not so well informed as yours whose consciences are not so well satisfied as yours and whose lives are not so amiable as yours Assurance We are united in the same Head and Hope Eodem sanguine Christi glutinati We are cemented with the same blood of Christ as Augustine said of his friend Alypius and himself makes men of a God-like disposition easie to pardon ready to forgive abundant in goodness admirable in patience It makes men to study the good of others and joy in all opportunities wherein they may strengthen the feeble and comfort the dejected and enrich the impoverished and recover the seduced and enlarge the straitned and build up the wasted Verily the reason why men are so bitter and sowre and censorious is Because God hath not given into their bosoms this sweet flower of delight Assurance Ah were their souls fully assured that God had loved them freely and received them graciously and justified them perfectly and pardoned them absolutely and would glorifie them everlastingly They could not but love where God loves and own where God owns and embrace where God embraces and be one with every one that is one with Jesus Were there Magnes amoris est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love more assurance among Christians there would be more of Davids and Jonathans spirit among Christians then there is this day were there more assurance among Christians there would be more life and more love more sweetness and more tenderness were there more assurance there would be less noise less contention less division less distraction less biting and less devouring among the Saints Assurance will make the Lion and the Calf the Wolf and Isai 11. 6 7 8. the Lamb the Leopard and the Kid the Bear and the Cow lie down together and feed together Men that want assurance love their Brethren as Flies love the Pot so long as there is any meat in the Pot the Flies love it so those men will love as long as there is an external motive to draw love but when that ceases their love ceases Dionysius loved his bottles when they were full but hurled them away when they were empty so many that want assurance love the Saints while their bags are full and their houses full of the good things of this life but when they are empty then they throw them away then they cast them off as Jobs friends did him Ah but assurance will make a man love as God loves and love as long as God loves The assured Christian will not cease to love so long as the least Buds and Blossoms of Grace appears Lazarus in his rags is as lovely to an assured Christian as Solomon in his robes Job is as delightful to him upon the dung-hil as David is upon his throne It is not the outward pomp and bravery but the inward beauty and glory of Saints that takes the assured Christian The last Motive to provoke you to Motive 11. get a wel-grounded assurance of your Everlasting Happiness is this Consider that as there is a great deal of counterfeit knowledge counterfeit faith counterfeit love counterfeit repentance c. in the world so there is a great deal of counterfeit assurance in the world Many there be that talk high and look big and bear it out bravely that they are thus and thus and that they have such and such glorious assurance whereas when their assurance comes to be weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary it is found too light and when it comes to withstand temptations it is found too weak and when it should put the soul upon Divine action it is found to be but a lazy presumption Shall the counterfeit gold that is in the world make men active and diligent to get that which is currant and that will abide the Touchstone and the Fire and shall not that counterfeit assurance that is in the world provoke your hearts to be so much the more careful and active to get such a wel-grounded assurance that God accounts as currant and that will abide his Touchstone in the day of discovery and that will keep a man from shame and blushing when the Thrones shall be set and the Books shall be opened I have been the longer upon these Motives to provoke your souls to get a wel-grounded assurance because it is of an eternal concernment to you and a work to which mens he arts are too backward though assurance carries a reward in its own bosom yet few look out after it though the pains of getting it be nothing to the profit that accompanies it yet few will sweat to gain it If the inducements laid down will not awaken and provoke you to be restless till you have got the White stone and New
it Psal 119. 20. breatheth and breaketh for the longing it hath at all times after the Righteousness of Christ imputed and infuled The Greeks derive their word for desire from a Root that signifies to burn Ah Christians real desires are burning desires they set the soul all in a holy flame after God and Christ if they are not vehement if they do not put an edge upon thy affections if they do not make thee like a burning Seraphim Christ will take no pleasure in them they shall return into thy own bosom without working any wonders in Heaven as those desires do that flow from the souls being touched with a coal from the Altar Secondly Premise this with me Psal 63. 1 2 3 4 27 4. Cant. 1. 2. Phil 3 7 8 9 10. All real longings and hungerings in the soul after Righteousness arises from Spiritual and Heavenly Considerations they spring in the soul from some convictions some apprehensions some perswasions that the soul hath of a real worth of a real beauty glory and excellency that is in Christ and in his Righteousness imputed and imparâ—ed Such desires after Righteousness that flow from external considerations are of no worth weight or continuance but those desires after Righteousness that flow from Spiritual considerations are full of spirit life and glory they are such that Psal 145. 19. God will not onely observe but accept not onely record but reward Thirdly Real hungerings and thirstings after Christ and his Righteousness c. will put the soul upon lively endeavors If they are true born desires they will not make the soul idle but active not negligent but diligent in the use of all holy means whereby the soul may enjoy Christ and his Righteousness Isa 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me wil I seâ—k thee early Real desires will make men earnest and early in seeking to obtain the thing desired as the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports A thirsty man will not onely long for drink but labor for it the which signifies to seek in the morning when it is but dim and dusky scarce twilight for of duskiness it hath its name and it notes both an earnest and an early seeking condemned man will not onely desire his pardon but he will write and intreat and weep and set this friend and that to solicite for him the covetous man doth not onely wish for wealth but will rise early and go to bed late he will turn every stone and make attempts upon all hopeful opportunities whereby he may fill his bags and fill his Barns Even so all holy desires will put souls upon the use of the means whereby the mercy desired may be gained And thus to run is to attain thus to will is to work thus to desire is to do the will of our Father who accepts of pence for pounds of mites for millions The Persian Monarch was not so famous for accepting a little water from the hand of a loving Subject as our God is for accepting of a handful of Meal Levit 2. 2. Exâ—d 35 6 2 Cor. 8 12. for a Sacrifice and a gripe of Goats-hair for an oblation for accepting of that little we have and for accounting our little much Noahs Sacrifice could not be great and yet it was greatly accepted and highly accounted off by God Such is Gods condiscending love to weak worms that he looks more at their will then at their work he mindes more what they would do then what they do do he always prefer the willing minde before the worthiest work and where desires and endeavors are sincere there God judges such to be as good as they desire and endeavor to be Fourthly Spiritual hungerings and thirstings are onely satisfied with Spiritual things John 14. 8. Shew us the Father and it sufficâ—th us All the things in the world cannot suffice us but a sight of the Father that will satisfie us Psal 63. 5 6. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips When I remember thee upon my bed and Christus est mihi pro omnibus Saith one meditate on thee in the night watches Psal 65. 4. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy holy Temple It is onely God and the precious things of his house that can satifie a thirsty soul It was a sweet sayof one As what I have if offered to thee pleaseth thee not O Lord without my self so the good things we have from thee though they may refresh us yet they cannot satisfie us without thy self The Rattle without the Brest will not satisfie the Childe the House without the Husband will not satisfie the Wife the Cabinet without the Jewel will not satisfie the Virgin nor the World without Christ will not satisfie the Soul Luther in a time of wants Valde protestatus sum me nolle fic satiari ab eo Luth. receiving unexpectedly a good sum of money from the Elector of Germany at which being some-what amazed he turned himself to God and protested That God should not put him off with such poor low things The hungry soul will not be put off with any Bread but with the Bread of Life The thirsty soul will not be put off with any Water but with the Well-springs of Life As the King of Sodom said once Gen 14. 21. Take you the goods give me the persons so sayes the hungry soul take you the goods take you honors and riches and the favor of Creatures take you the Corn the Oyl and the Wine give me Christ give me the light of his countenance give me the joy of his Spirit c. O the answering of Spiritual breathings is very sweet to the soul Prov. 13. 19. The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul Returns from Heaven makes a paradise in the soul I have read of Darius that when he fled from his enemy and being in great thirst he met with a dirty puddle of water with Carrion lying in it and he sucked in and drunk very heartily of it and professed That it was the sweetest draught that ever he drunk in his life Ah how sweet then are those Waters of Life that be at Gods right hand how sweet are the droppings of Gods Hony-comb upon the hungry soul Water out of the Rock and Manna in the Wilderness was not so sweet to the hungry thirsty Israelites as Spiritual answers and Spiritual returns are to those that hunger and thirst after Spiritual things The sixth Means to obtain a wel-grounded Means 6. Many may be much in and for Church-Ordinances whose hearts are very carnal and whose livâ—s are very vain Ezek 24 21 22. You have seven expressions of carnal hearts prizing Church priviledges So Jer 7. 4. Ezek. 33. 30 31 32 33. Isa 1. 11 12 13 14. Zach
is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life 2 Pet. 1. 3. According as his Divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue What this Knowledge is that accompanies Salvation I shall shew you anon Secondly Faith is another of those special things that accompanies Salvation 1 Thes 2. 13. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you Brethren Beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation thorow sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth 1 Pet. 1. 5. You Vide Parcus Esteum Gerhardum on the Text. who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation Vers 9. Receiving the end of your Faith even the salvation of your souls Heb. 10. 30. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soul John 3 14 15 16. Mark 16. 16. Acts 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. Isa 45. 22. Phil. 2. 8. Joh 11. 25 26. 1 John 5. 10. All â—hese and many more Scriptures speaks out the same truth This dâ—uble asseveration or protestation is used onely in matters of weâ—ght and unhappy are we â—hat we cannot believe without them And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Vers 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life Chap. 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Chap. 6. 40. And this is the will of him that sent me that every one that seeth he Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Vers 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Thirdly Repentance is another of those choice things that accompanies salvation 2 Cor. 7. 10. For godly sorrow The very word repâ—nt was very displeasing to Luther till his conversion but afterward he took delight in the work Paehitens de peccato dolet de dolore gaudet Luth to sorrow for his sin and then rejoyce in his sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Jere. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Acts 11. 18. When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Matth. 18. 3. And Jesus said verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Fourthly Obedience is another of those precious things that accompanies salvation Heb. 5. 9. And being Vide B. Dewâ—h of Justification 17. c. 7. made perfect speaking of Christ he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Psal 50. 23. whoso offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I declare the Salvation of God Fifthly Love is another of those singular things that accompanies salvation Deus nihil corenat nisi dona sui August When God câ—ownâ—th us he doth but crown hâ—s own gifts in us 2 Tim. 4. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but unto them also that love his appearing James 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren haâ—h not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. It is written eie hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him James 1. 12. Blessed is the man that indureth temptation for when The word Crown notes to us the perpetuity of that life the Apostle speaks of for a Crown hath neither beginning nor ending 2. It notes plenty the Crown fetches a compasse on every side 3. It notes dignity it notes majesty Eternal life is a coronation day It notes all joys all delights in a word it notes all good it notes all glory he is tryed he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Matth. 19. 28 29. And Jesus said unto them verily I say unto you that yee which have followed me in the regeneration When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his glory yee shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel And every one that hath forsaken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life The whole is as if Christ had said whosoever shall shew love to mee this way or that in one thing or another out of respect to my Name to my Honor mercy shall bee his portion here and glory shall bee his portion hereafter Sixthly Prayer is another of those sweet things that accompanies salvation Rom. 10. 10. 13. For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2. 21. And it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved That is saith one hee shall be certainly sealed up to salvation Or as another saith he that hath this grace of Prayer it is an evident sign and assurance to him that he shall be saved Therefore to have grace to pray is a better and a greater mercy then to have gifts to prophesie Matth. 7. 22. Praying souls shall finde the gates of heaven open to them when prophecying souls shall find them shut against them Seventhly and lastly Perseverance is another of those prime things that accompanies salvation Matth. 10. 22. And yee shall be hated of all men for my name sake but he that indureth to the end the same shall be saved Chap. 24. 12 13. And because iniquity shal abound the love The same words you have in Mark 13. 13. of many shal wax cold but he that indureth unto the end the same shal be saved Rev. 2. 10. Fear none of
Christian will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preach forth the vertues of Christ in an imitable practise and till then a man under all other knowledge will remain an incarnate Devil When a beam of Divine Light shined from Heaven upon Paul Ah how did it Acts 9. 3 c. Divine light layes upon a man Felix necessitas a happy necessity of obeying God c. change and metomorphise him how did it alter and transform him it made his rebellious soul obedient Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do God bids him arise and go into the City and it should be told him what he should do and he obeyes the Heavenly vision Chap. 26. 19. Divine light makes this Lion a Lamb this Persecutor a Preacher this Destroyer of the Saints a Builder up of the Saints this Tormentor a Comforter this Monster an Angel this Notorious Blasphemer a very great admirer of God and the actings of his Free-grace as you may see by comparing the nineth and twenty sixt Chapters of the Acts together So when a spark of this Heavenly fire fell upon the heart of Mary Magdalen Luke 7. O what a change what a turn doth it make in her now she loves much and believes much and repents much and weeps much O what a change did Divine light make in Zacheus and in the Jailor Verily if thy light thy knowledge doth not better thee if it doth not change and transform thee if under all thy light and knowledge thou remainest as vile and base as ever thy light thy knowledge thy notions thy speculations will be like to fire not on the Hearth but in the Room that will burn the House and the Inhabitant too it will be like mettle in a blinde horse that serves for nothing but to break the neck of the rider That knowledge that is not a transforming knowledge will torment a man at last more then all the Devils in Hell it will be a Sword to cut him a Rod to lash him a Serpent to bite him a Scorpion to sting him and a Vulture a Worm eternally gnawing him When Tamberlain was in his wars one having found and digged up a great pot of Gold brought it to him Tamberlain asked whether it had his Fathers stamp upon it but when he saw it had the Roman stamp and not his Fathers he would not own it So God at last will own no knowledge but that which leaves the stamp of Christ the print of Christ the image of Christ upon the heart But that which changes and transforms the soul that makes a man a new man another man then what he was before Divine light shined upon him Thirdly That Knowledge that accompanies salvation is experimental Knowledge it is knowledge that springs from a spiritual sense and taste of holy and heavenly things Cant. 1. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy loves is better then wine The Spouse had experienced the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By loves his plural loves she means all the fruits of his love viz. Righteousness Holiness Joy Peace Assurance c. sweetness of Christs loves his loves sayes she is better then wine Though wine is an excellent creature a useful creature a comfortable and delightful creature a reviving and restorative creature and this draws out her heart and makes her insatiable in longing and very earnest in courting not a kiss but kisses not a little but much of Christ Her knowledge being experimental she is impatient and restless till she was drawn into the nearest and highest communion and fellowship with Christ So in Verse 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my wel-beloved Psal 45. 8. Prov. 7. 17. So Plin. l. 12. c. 15 16 c. unto me he shall lie all night betwixt my brests Myrrhe is marvellous sweet and savory so is my wel-beloved unto me sayes the Spouse I have found Jesus Christ to be marvellous sweet and savory to my soul Myrrhe is bitter Every good man hath in him two men Rom 7. 15 ult Gal. 5. 17. to the taste though it be sweet to the smâ—ll so is my wel-beloved unto me sayes the Spouse I have found him to be bitter and bloody to the old man to the ignoble and worser part of man And I have found him to be sweet and lovely to the New Man to the Regenerate Man to the noble part of man I have found him to be a bitter and a bloody enemy to my sins and at the same time to be a sweet and precious friend unto my soul Myrrhe is of a preserving nature it is hot and dry in the second degree as the Naturalists observe so is my wel-beloved unto me sayes the Spouse O I have found the Lord Jesus Austin thanks God that his heart and the temptation did not meet together preserving my soul from closing with such and such temptations and from falling under the power of such and such corruptions and from fainting under such and such afflictions c. Considerable to the same purpose is that of Phil. 1. 9. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgeme 〈…〉 The Greek word that is here rendr 〈…〉 â—udgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sense The soul hath her senses as well as the body and they must be exercised Heb 5. 14. properly signifies sense not a corporal but a spiritual sense and taste an inward experimental knowledge of holy and heavenly things The Apostle well knew that all notional and speculative knowledge would leave men on this side Heaven and therefore he earnestly prayes that their knowledge might be experimental that being the knowledge that accompanies What is the Schollers knowledge of the strength riches glories and sweetnesses of far Countries obrained by Maps and Books to their knowledge that daily see and enjoy those things salvation that will give a man at last a possession of salvation Verily that knowledge that is onely notional speculative and general that is gathered out of books discourses and other outward advantages is such a knowledge that will make men sit down on this side salvation as it did Judas Demas the Scribes and Pharisees c. Christ will at last shut the doore of hope of help of consolation and salvation upon all those that know much of him notionally but nothing feelingly as you may see in his shutting the door of happinesse against the foolish Virgins Matth. 25. and against Surgunt in docti rapiuâ—t coelum Nos cum doctrinis detrudimur in Geheunam Aus those forward Professors Preachers and workers of Miracles Mat. 7. who had much speculative knowledge but no experimental knowledge who had much outward general knowledge of Christ but no spiritual inward acquaintance with Christ A man that hath that experimental knowledge that accompanies salvation will from his experience tell you That sin is the Rom. 7. greatest evill in the world
for he hath found it so That Christ is the one Psal 27. 4. thing necessary for hee hath found him so That the favour of God is Psal 63. 3. better then life for he hath found it Psal 32. 1 2. so That pardoning mercy onely makes a man happy for he hath found it so a That wounded spirit is such Prov. 18. 14. a burthen that none can bear for he Psal 51. 17. hath found it so That an humble and a broken heart is an acceptable sacrifice to God for he hath found it so That the Promises are precious pearles for 2 Pet. 1. 4. hee hath found them so That the smiles of God will make up the want Psal 4. 6 7. of any outward mercy for he hath found it so that communion with Psal 48. 10. God can onely make a Heaven in a Beleevers heart for he hath found it so John 16. That if the Spirit be pleased and obeyed he will be a comforter to the soul for he hath found it so But if his motions and laws be slighted and neglected Lam. 1. 16. Isa 63. 10. 11. he will stand far off from the soul he will vex and gall the soule Well souls remember this That knowledge that is not experimental will never turn to your account it will only increase your guilt and torment as it did the Scribes and Pharisees What advantage had the men of the old world by their knowing that there was an Arke or by their clambering about the Arke when they were shut out and drowned in the flood What doth it profit a man to see heaps of Jewels and Pearles and mountains of Gold and Silver when he is monylesse and pennilesse It is rather a torment then a comfort to know that there is a pardon for other malefactors but none for me that there is bread for such and such hungry souls but none for me that there is water and wine to chear comfort and refresh such and such but not a sip a drop for me my bottle is empty and I may die for thirst whilst others are a drinking at the fountain head That there is houses and cloaths to shelter such and such from colds storms and tempests whilst I lie naked with Lazarus at Dives door exposed to the miseries of all weathers This kind of knowledge doth rather torment men then comfort them it does but adde fuell to the fire and make their hell the hotter the knowledge that Devils and Apostates have of God Christ and the Scriptures c. being onely notional is so far from being a comfort to them that it is their greatest torment James 2. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies so roars the Sea and to tremble and shake horribly it is a worm that is eternally gnawing them it makes them ten thousand times more miserable then otherwise they would be They are still a crying out O that our light our light were put out O that our knowledge our knowledge were extinguished O that we might but change rooms change places with the Heathens with the Barbarians that never knew what we have known O how happy would damned Devils and Apostates judge themselves in hell if they should escape with those dreadfull stripes that shall be eternally laid upon the backs of fools Remember Reader that a little heart knowledge a little experimental knowledge is of greater efficacy and worth then the highest notions of the most acutest wits He doth well that discourses of Christ but he doth infinitely better that by experimental knowledge feeds and lives on Christ It was not Adams seeing â—ut his tasting of forbidden fruit that made him miserable and it is not your seeing Psal 34. 8. of Christ but your experimentall tasting of Christ that will make you truly happy As no knowledge will save you but what is experimental so let no knowledge satisfie you but what is experimental Fourthly that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is a heart-affecting-knowledge it affects the heart with Christ and all spiritual things O it doth wonderfully 1 John 4. 7 8. indear Christ and the things of Christ to the soul Can. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love O saith the Spouse my heart is taken with Christ it is raised and ravished with his love my soule is burning my soul is beating towards Christ O none but Christ none but Christ I cannot live in my selfe I Plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me Ber. cannot live in my Duties I cannot live in externall Priviledges I cannot live in outward Mercies I cannot live in common Providences I Col. 3. 3 4. Ignatius cryed out amor meus crucifixus my love my love is crucified c. can live onely in Christ who is my Life my Love my Joy my Crown my all in all O the hearing of Christ affects me the seeing of Christ affects me the taste of Christ affects mee the glimmerings of Christ affects me the more I come to know him in his Natures in his Names in his Offices in his discoveries in his appearances in his beauties the more I finde my heart and affections to prize Christ to Psal 73. 23 25 26. run after Christ to be affected with Christ and to be wonderfully indeared to Christ Cant. 5. 10. He is white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand The knowledge that she had of Christ did so affect and indear her heart to Christ that she cannot but make use of all her Rhetorick to set forth Christ in the most lovely and lively colours Gal. 6. 14. God forbid that I should glory in any thing save in Christ Jesus O God forbid that my heart should be affected or taken with any thing in comparison of Christ The more I know him the more I like him the more I know him the more I love him the more I know him the more I desire him the more I know him the more my heart is knit unto him His Beauty is taking his Love is ravishing his Goodnesse is drawing his Manifestations are inticing and his Person is inamoring His lovely Looks pleases me his pleasant Voice delights mee his precious Spirit comforts me his holy Word rules mee and these things make Christ to be a Heaven unto me O but now all that notionall knowledge that speculative knowledge that leaves a man on this side salvation never affects the heart it never draws it it never indears the heart to Christ or to the precious things of Christ Hence it is that such men under all their notions under all their light and knowledge have no affection to Christ no delight in Christ no workings of heart after Christ Well Reader remember this if thy knowledge doth not now affect thy heart it will at last with a witnesse afflict thy heart if it doth not now indear Christ to thee it will at last the more provoke Christ against thee if
to Heaven But lest any precious soule should turn this Truth into a sword to cut and wound himselfe let me desire him to remember that every Beleever that hath such knowledge that accompanies salvation hath not It is commonly said of knowledge non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem that it hath not a greater enemy then ignorance c. this applicatory knowledge that makes so much for the souls consolation and that doth accompany some mens salvation I say not all mens salvation if thou findest thy knowledge to be such a knowledge as is before described in the six former particulars though thou hast not attained to this applicatory knowledge yet hast thou attained to that knowledge that accompanies salvation and that will my soule for thine give thee a possession of salvation This applicatory knowledge that accompanies salvation is onely to bee found in such eminent Saints that are high in their communion with God and that have attained some considerable assurance of their interest in God Many mens salvation is accompanied with an applicatory knowledge but all mens salvation is not accompanied with an applicatory knowledge of a mans particular interest in Christ and those blessed favors and benefits that comes by him thy Soule may bee safe and thy salvation may bee sure though thou hast not attained unto this appropriating knowledge but thy life cannot A man doth not attain to health by reading Galen or Hippocrates his Aphorisms but by the practical application of them 〈◊〉 move his diseases You know how to apply it be comfortable without this appropriating knowledge Therefore if thou hast it not labor for it as for life it is a pearle of price and if thou findest it it will make thy soul amends for all thy digging seeking working sweating weeping c. Eightly and lastly that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is accompanied and attended with these things First that Knowledge that accompanies salvation is attended with holy indeavors and with heavenly desires thirstings and pantings after a further knowledge of God after clearer visions of God Prov. 15. 14. The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knowledge but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishnesse The Hebrew word that is here rendred seeketh â—ebakkesh is in pihil and signifâ—es an earnest and diligent seeking to seek as an hungry man seeks for meat or as a covetous man for gold the more he hath the more he desires or as a condemned man seeks for his pardon or as the diseased man seeks for his cure The word in the Text is from a root 〈…〉 ash that signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to seek studiously laboriously industriously to seek by sâ—ing praying enquiring and walking up and downe that we may find what we seek So in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Prov. 18. 15. The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge and the eare of Seeketh as men do for hid treasure c. the wise seeketh knowledge A man that divinely knows will set his heart and his ear his inward and outward man to know more and more Divine knowledge is marvellous sweet pleasing comforting satisfying refreshing strengthening and supporting and soules that have found the sweetnesse and usefulness of it cannot but look and long breath and pant after more and more of it The new-born 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. Babe doth not more naturally and more earnestly long for the brests then a soul that hath tasted that the Lord is gracious doth long for further and further tastes of God David under all Psal 119. 18 19. his knowledge cryes out I am a stranger in the Land hide not thy Commandments from me Open mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law Job under all his knowledge Job 34. 32. which was very great cryes out That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more A second thing that attends and accompanies that knowledge that accompanies salvation is holy endeavors The way to get more knowledge is to communicate that we have according to that Habenti dabitur to edifie others to instruct others to enlighten and inform others in the knowledge of spiritual and heavenly things Heavenly light cannot be hid under a bushel you may as easily hinder the Sun from shining as you may hinder a gracious soul from diffusing and spreading abroad that knowledge and light that God hath given him Divine light in the soul is like a light in a bright Lanthorn that shines forth every way or like a light in a room or on a Beacon that gives light to others A Christian that divinely knows is like the Lamp in the story that was always burning and shining and never went out So in Gen. 18. 17 Thus did Philip of Bethsaida John 1. 45. Thus did the woman of Samaria John 4. 28 29. Thus did the Spouse Cant. 5. 10. to ult Thus did that Scraphical Preacher St. Paul Acts 26. 29. 19. And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham that which I do for I know him that he will command his children and his houshould after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him He that communicates his knowledge to others shall be both of Gods court and council he shall lye in the bosome of God he shall know the secrets of God Prov. 15. 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the foolish doth not so The Hebrew word that is here rendred disperse is a metaphor taken from Seedsmens scattering abroad of their seed in the furrows of the field Heavenly Augustine accounted nothing his own that he did not communicate to others knowledge is very spreading and diffusive it is like the Sun the Sun casteth his beams upward and downward upon good and upon bad so divine light in a gracious soul will break forth for the advantage and profit of friends and enemies of those that be in a state of nature and of those that be in a state of grace Acts 4. 18 19 20. And they called them and Opposition is the black angel that dogs the Gospel at the heels Divine knowledge is like new wine it must have vent it is heavenly fire that will break forth Jer. 5. 14. 20. 9. commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name in Jesus But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge ye For we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard The Bee doth store her Hive out of all sorts of flowers for the common benefit so a heavenly Christian sucks sweetness out of every mercy and every duty out of every providence and out of every ordinance out of every promise
of things not seen Faith makes absent glory present absent riches present absent pleasures present absent favors present Faith brings an invisible God and sets him before the soul Moses by Faith saw him that was invisible Faith brings down the recompence of reward and sets it really though spiritually before the soul Faith sets Divine favor before the soul it sets peace it sets pardon of sin it sets the Righteousness of Christ it sets the Joy of Heaven it sets Salvation before the soul it makes all these things very near and obvious to the soul Faith is the evidence of things not seen Faith makes invisible things visible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Index or clear conviction by disputation absent things present things that are afar off to be very near unto the soul By convincing Demonstrations by Arguments and Reasons drawn from the Word as the Greek word signifies 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while we look not at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To look with a diligent eye as men do at the mark whereat they shoot things which are seen but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Faith trades in invisible things in eternal things its eye is always upwards like the Fish called by Galen Urano Scopos that hath but one eye and yet looks continually up to Heaven Faith Heb 6. 19. Rom. 8. 18. Heb. 10. 34. Acts 7. 55 56. An adopted Heir to a Crown cannot but have his heart at Court his minde and thoughts will be upon his future glorious condition He will be still a creating Idea's and Images of it enters within the vail and fixes her eye upon those glorious things of eternity that are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they are above all estimation Sayes Faith the spangled Firmament is but the Footstool of my Fathers house and if the Foot-stool the outside be so glorious O how glorious is his Throne Verily in Heaven there is that life that cannot be expressed that light that cannot be comprehended that joy that cannot be fadomed that sweetness that cannot be dissipated that feast that cannot be consumed and upon these Pearls of glory I look and live sayes Faith And thus I have shewed you the choice and precious objects about which that Faith is exercised that accompanies Salvation I shall now in the next place shew you the Properties of that Faith that accompanies Salvation and they are these that follow The first Property of that Faith Quid est igitur fides Opinior fideliter hominem Christi creder◠i. e. Fidelem esse boc est fideliter Dei mandata servare saith one that accompanies Salvation is this It puts forth it self into vital operations it makes a man full of life and activity for God it will make a man diligent and venturous in the work and wayes of God Faith is a most active quality in it self and so it makes a Christian most active it is a doing thing and it makes the person doing Faith will not suffer the soul to be idle Faith is like the vertuous Woman in the last of the Proverbs who put her hand to every work who would suffer none of her Hand-maids to be idle Faith puts the soul upon grieving for Zach. 12. 10. sin upon combating with sin upon weeping over sin upon trembling at the occasions of sin upon resisting temptations that leads to sin upon fighting it out to the death with sin Faith puts a man upon walking with The eleventh of the Hebrews is a full proof of these things Gal. 2. 20. God upon waiting on God upon working for God upon wrastling with God upon bearing for God and upon parting with any thing for God Faith makes Religious duties to be easie to the soul to be delightful to the soul to be profitable to the soul Faith makes the soul to be serious and conscientious in doing to be careful faithful in doing to be delightful chearful in doing to be diligent and faithful in doing Jam. 2. 17. to the end Faith looks to precepts as well as to promises Psal 119. 66. Teach me good judgement and knowledge for I have believed thy Commandments That faith that is not a working faith is no faith that faith that is not a working faith is a dead faith that faith that is not a working faith is a deluding faith that faith that is not a working faith is a worthless faith that faith that is not a working faith will leave a man short of Heaven and happiness in the latter day Faith that accompanies Salvation is better at doing then at thinking at obeying then at disputing at walking then at talking Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works Faith will make a man endeavor to be good yea to be best at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to bend their wits and beat their brains to maintain good works every thing he undertakes It is not leaves but fruit not words but works that God expects and if we cross his expectation we frustrate our own Salvation we further our own condemnation Faith makes the soul Isa 65 24. Gen. 4 4. 1 Pet. 3. 11. Cant. 2. 14. Luther prefers the meanest work of a Country Christian or poor Maid above all the victories and triumphs of Alexander and of Julius Caesar Matth. 27. ult Isa 41. 10 11. Heb. 13 5 6. Ezek. 36. 26 27 c. much in doing abundant in working and that partly by perswading the soul that all its works all its duties and services shall be owned and accepted of God as in Isa 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and make them joyful in my House of prayer Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar for mine House shall be called an House of prayer for all people Faith assures the soul that every prayer every sigh every groan every tear is accepted And this makes the soul pray much and sign much and mourn much Again Faith spreads the promises of Divine assistance before the soul O sayes Faith here O soul is assistance suitable to the work required And this makes a man work as for life it makes a man work and sweat and sweat and work Again Faith sets the Recompence the Reward before the soul O Heb. 11. 25 26. One good work of a Christian is more precious then Heaven and Earth saith Luther sayes Faith Look here soul here is a great reward for a little work here is great wages for weak and imperfect services here is an infinite reward
those feet that were as fine-brass should be nailed to the Cross and all this for mans transgression for mans rebellion O the sight of these things the believing of these things the acting of Faith on these things makes a gracious soul to break and bleed to sigh and groan to mourn and lament That Faith that accompanies Salvation is more or less a heart-breaking a heart-melting Faith The sixt Property of that Faith that accompanies Salvation is this It is a world-conquering faith it is a world over-coming faith 1 John 5. 4. For whatsoever is born of God over-cometh the world and this is the victory that over-cometh the world even our Faith Faith overcomes the frowning world and the fawning world the tempting world and the persecuting world and that it doth thus First Faith by uniting the soul to Christ doth interest the soul in all the victories and conquests of Christ and so makes the soul a conqueror with Christ John 16. ult These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace in the world you shall have tribulation but be of good chear I have overcome the world We have to deal but with a conquered enemy our Jesus hath given the world a mortal wound we have nothing to do but to set our feet upon a subdued enemy and to sing it out with the Apostle Over all these we are more then Rom. 8. 37. conquerors Secondly Faith overcomes the world by out-bidding fights Faith out-bids the world and so makes the soul victorious The world set honors pleasures c. before Moses but his Faith out-bid the world it presents the recompence of reward it brings down all the glory pleasures and treasures of Heaven of that other world and sets them before the soul and so it over-tops and overcomes the world by out-bidding it so Christ for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising Heb. 12. 2. the shame Thirdly Faith overcomes the world by telling the soul that all things are its own sayes Faith This God is thy God this Christ is thy Christ this Righteousness is thy Righteousness this Promise is thy Promise this Crown is thy Crown this Glory is thy Glory these Treasures are thy Treasures these pleasures 1 Cor. 3. 22. are thy pleasures All things are yours saith the Apostle things present are yours and things to come are yours Thus the Faith of the Martyrs acted Heb. 11. 35. and so made them victorious over a tempting and a persecuting world Fourthly Faith overcomes the world by valuing the things of this world as they are most men over-value them they put too great a price upon them they make the world a god and then they cry Great is Diana of the Ephesians O but Faith now turns the inside of all Creatures outward Faith presents all worldly things as impotent as mixt as mutable as momentary to the soul and so makes the soul victorious Faith makes a man to see the prickles that be in every Rose the thorns that be in every Crown the scabs that be under every Gown the poyson that is in the Golden Cup the snare that is in the delicate dish the spot that is in the shining Pearl and so makes a Christian count and call all these things as indeed they are vanity of vanity and so the believing soul Omnis vita infidelium peccatum est nibil bonum fine summo bono Aug. There is no good without Christ the cheifest good slights the world and tramples upon it as dung and dross Fifthly and lastly Faith overcomes the world by presenting Jesus Christ to the soul as a most excellent glorious and comprehensive good as such a good that comprehends all good Christ is that one good that comprehends all good that one thing that comprehends all things All the beauties all the rarities all the excellencies all the riches all the glories of all created Creatures are comprehended in Christ As the worth and value of many peices of silver is connected in one peice of Gold or in one precious Jewel so all the whole volume of perfections which is spread thorow Heaven and Earth is epitomized in Christ and the sight and sense of this makes the soul to triumph over the world Faith presents more excellencies and better excellencies in Christ then can be lost for Christ and so it makes the soul a conqueror I have been long upon these things because they are of much weight and worth I shall be the briefer in what follows but before I leave this point I shall give you these hints In the first place I shall give you some hints concerning strong Faith in the second place I shall give you some hints concerning weak Faith My design in both is to keep precious souls from mistaking and fainting concerning strong Faith I shall give you these short hints First Strong Faith will make a soul resolute in resisting and happy in conquering the strongest temptations Heb. 11. 3. Dan. 6. Secondly It will make a man own God and cleave to God and hang upon God in the face of the greatest difficulties and dangers Rom. 4. 18 c. Psal 44. 16 17 18. So Job will trust Job 13. 15 16. in God though he slay him Thirdly It will inable men to prefer Christs Cross before the worlds crown to prefer tortures before deliverance Heb. 11. Fourthly Strong Faith will make a soul divinely fearless and divinely careless it will make a man live as the childe lives in the family without fear or care Psal 23. 4. Dan. 3. We are not careful to answer thee O King our God whom we serve is able to deliver us and he will deliver us c. Micah 7. 7 8 9. Fifthly Strong Faith will make a man cleave to the promise when providence runs cross to the promise Num. 10. 29. 2 Chro. 20. 9 10 11. Psal 60. 6 7. God hath spoken in his holiness saith David So Joshua and Caleb Numb 14. 22 23 24. I will rejoyce I will divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth Gilead is mine and Manasseh is mine c. Though David was in his Banishment yet his faith accounts all his as if he had all in possession and that because God had spoken in his holiness His faith hangs upon the promise though present Providences did run cross to the Promise c. 6. Strong faith will make men comply with those commands that do most cross them in their most desirable comforts Heb. 11. 8 9. 10. 34. Gen. 22. Now O precious Souls you are not to argue against your own souls that surely you have no faith because that As it is dangerous to make false definitions of sin so it is dangerous to make false definitions of grace your faith doth not lead you forth to such and such noble things thou maist have true faith though thou hast not so great faith as others of the Lords Worthies have
was the great sin of Israel but after their return out of captivity they never set up Idols more but were wonderful zealous to keep their Temple from such defilements both in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes and of the Romans and do accunt them as a menstruous cloth to this very day iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin When he maketh all the stones of the Altar as Chalk stones that are beaten in sunder the groves and images shall not stand up Here you see when God appears and acts graciously for and towards his people they put the hand of Repentance upon their Groves and Images these must down these must no longer stand The Groves and the Images shall not stand up they shall be utterly abandoned and destroyed demolished and abolished So in Isa 30. 22. Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images of Silver and the ornament of thy molten Images of Gold Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Here you see the hand of Repentance is against their Idols of Silver and Gold and not onely against their Idols but also against whatsoever had any relation to them Now they shew nothing but a detestation of their Idols and a holy indignation against them Get you The Jews were willing in the Romans time rather to die then to suffer the Eagle the Imperial Arms to be set up in the Temple hence The hand of Repentance makes a divorce between them and their Idols between their Souls and their especial Sins Now they are as much in hating abhorring abominating and contemning their Idols and Images as they were formerly in adoring worshipping and honoring of them So Mary Magdalen in the seventh of Luke walks quite cross and contrary to her former self her sinful self she crosses the flesh in those very things wherein formerly she did gratifie the flesh So the penitent Jailor in that sixteenth of the Acts washes those very wounds that his own bloody hands had made He acts in wayes of mercy quite contrary to his former cruelty At first there was none so fierce so furious so cruel so bloody so inhumane in his carriage to the Apostles at last none so gentle so soft so sweet so curteous so affectionate to them The same you may see in Zacheus in the nineteenth of Luke In Paul Acts the ninth and in Manasse in that of the second of Chronicles chap. 33. 6. Fifthly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation is very large and comprehensive it comprehends and takes in these following particulars besides those already named 1. It takes in a sight and sense of sin Men must first see their sins they must be sensible of their sins before they can repent of their sins Ephraim had first a sight of his sin and then he repents and turns from his sin After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh Jer. 31. 18 19. A man first sees himself It was so with Paul who thought himsâ—lf in as good a way for Heaven as any Acts 9. and 26. compared out of the way before he returns into the way till he sees that he is out of the way he walks still on but when he perceives that he is out of the way then he begins to make inquiry after the right way So when the sinner comes to see his way to be a way of death then he cryes out O lead me in the way of life lead me in the way everlasting Psal 139. 24. 2. For I shall but touch upon these things That Repentance that accompanies Salvation doth include not onely a sight and sense of sin but also confession and acknowledgment Act 19. 18. Confessio peccati est vomitus sordium animâ— Aug. of sin Psal 51. 32. 3 4 5. While I kept close my sin my bones consumed but I said I will confess my sin and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Job 33. 21 27. The promise of remission is made to confession 1 John 1. 9. If we Non dico ut confitearis conservo tuo peccata tuâ— diceto Deo qui curet ca. Chrys in Psa 50. confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins So Prov. 28. 13. He that hideth his sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh it shall finde mercy If we confess our sins sincerely seriously humbly cordially pardon attend us Homo agnoscit Deus ignoscit Confession of sin must be joyned with confusion of sin or all is lost God is lost Christ is lost Heaven lost and the Soul lost for ever The true Penitent can say with Vivaldus I hide not my sins but I shew them I wipe them not away but I sprinkle them I do not excuse them but I accuse them Peccata enim non nocent si non placent My sins hurt me not if I like them not The beginning of my Salvation is the knowledge of my transgression 3. That Repentance that accompanies Salvation doth include not onely confession of sin but also contrition Jer. 13. 17. Joel 2. 13. David cryes not perii but peecavi not I am undone but I have done foolishly Basil wept when he saw the Rose because it brought to his minde the first sin from whence it had the prickles which it had not while man continued in innocence as he thought You know how to apply it for sin Psal 51. 4. 1 Sam. 7. 2. Zach. 12. 10 11. Ezra 10. 1 2. 2 Cor. 7. 11 c. It breaks the heart with sighs sobs and groans for that a loving Father is offended a blessed Saviour crucified and the sweet Comforter grieved Penitent Mary Magdalen weeps much as well as loves much Luke 7. Tears instead of gems were the ornaments of Penitent Davids Bed and surely that sweet Singer never sung more melodiously then when his heart was broken most penitentially How shall God wipe away my tears in Heaven if I shed none in Earth And how shall I reap in joy if I sow not in tears I was born with tears and shall die with tears why should I then live without them in this valley of tears saith the true Penitent The sweetest joys are from the sourest tears Penitent tears are the breeders of spiritual joy When Hannah had wept she 1 Sam. 1. 18. went away and was no more sad The True Repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is Offensivum Dei aversivum à Deo Bee gathers the best Honey of the bitterest Herbs Christ made the best Wine of Water the strongest the purest the truest the most permanent and the most excellent joy is Peters was for sin Judas his for punishment Peter grieves because Christ was grieved Judas grieved because he should be damned Psal 42. 5. made of the Waters of Repentance If God be God they that sow in tears shall reap in joy But that no mourner may drown
himself in his own tears let me give this Caution viz. That there is nothing beyond remedy but the tears of the damned A man who may persist in the way to Paradise should not place himself in the condition of a little Hell and he that may or can hope for that great all ought not to be dejected nor overwhelmed for any thing 4. That Repentance that accompanies Salvation doth include not onely contrition for sin but also a holy shame and blushing for sin Ezra 9. 6. Jer. 3. 24 25. 31. 19. Ezek. 16. 61 63. And thou shalt be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bosh to blush to be abashed to wax pale and wan c. Quantum displicet Deo immundiâ—ia peccati in tantum placet Deo erubiscentia paenitentis Ber. the Lord God When the Penitent Soul sees his sins pardoned the anger of God pacified and Divine Justice satisfied then he sits down ashamed So in Rom. 6. 21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Sin and shame are inseparable companions So much the more God hath been diâ—pleased with the blackness of sin the more will he be well pleased with â—he blushing of the sinner A man cannot have the seeming sweet of sin but he shall have the real shame that accompanies sin These two God hath joyned together and all the world cannot put them asunder It was an impenitent Caligula that said of himself that he loved nothing better in himself then that he could not be ashamed Justinus Motto was Quod pudet hoc pigeat that should grieve most which is shameful in it self and done against conscience And doubtless those things are onely shameful that are sinful A soul that hath sinned away all shame is a soul ripe for Hell and given up to Satan A greater plague cannot befal a man in this life then to sin and not to blush Fifthly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation comprehends loathing and abhorring of sin and of Vis magnus esse incipe ab imo Wilt thou be great begin from below saith one It is very observable that those brave Creatures the Eâ—gle and the Lyon were not offered in sacrifice unto God but the poor Lamb and Dove to note That God regards not your brave high lofty spirits but poor meek and contemptible spirits our selves for sin as well as shame and blushing for sin Job 42. 6. Ezek. 16. 61 62 63. Amos 5. 15. Ezek. 20. 41 42 43. And ye shall remember your ways and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for â—all the evils that you have committed The sincere penitent loaths his sins and he loaths himself also because of his sins He crys out O these wanton eies O these wicked hands O this deceiptful tongue O this crooked will O this corrupt heart O how do I loath my sins how do I loath my self how do I loath sinful-self and how do I loath my natural-self because of sinful-self My sins are a burden to me and they make me a burden to my self my sins are an abhorring to me and they make me abhor my self in dust and ashes A true Penitent hath not onely low thoughts of himself but loathsome thoughts of himself none can think or speak so vilely of him as he doth and will think and speak of himself Ezek. 6. 9. And they that escape of you shall remember me among the Nations whither they shall be carried captives because I am broken with their whorish heart as the heart of a Husband is at the adulterous carriage of his wife which hath departed from me and with their eyes which go a whoring after their Idols and they shall loath themselves for evils which they have committed in all their abominations If thy Repentance do not work thee out with Some people can shed tears for nothing some for any thing but a sound penitent sheds more tears for his sins then he doth for his sufferings thy sins and thy sins work thee out of love with thy self thy Repentance is not that Repentance that accompanies Salvation And thus you see the particular things that that Repentance that doth accompany Salvation doth comprehend and include Sixthly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation hath these choice companions attending of it First Faith Zach. 12. 10 11. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn c. Mourning and beleeving go together So in Matth. 4. 17. Mark 1. 14 15. Now after that John was put in prison Jesus came into Galilee Preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God And saying The time is fulfilled and the Kingdom of God is at hand Repent ye and believe the Gospel Secondly Love to Christ doth always accompany that Repentance that accompanies Salvation as you may see in Mary Magdalen in that seventh of Luke Thirdly A filial fear of offending God and a holy care to honor God doth always accompanie that Repentance that accompanies Salvation 2 Cor. 7. 11. For godly sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation Repentance is post naufragium tabula the fair daughter of a foul mother Repentance is a fruitful Womb. not to be repented of for behold this self same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge In all things ye have approved your selves to be clear in this matter Verily Repentance to life hath all these lively companions attending of it they are born together and will live together till the penitent soul changes Earth for Heaven Grace for Glory Seventhly and lastly That Repentance that accompanies Salvation is a continued act a Repentance never to be 2 Cor. 7. 10. repented of Repentance is a continual spring where the waters of godly sorrow are alwayes flowing A sound Penitent is still a turning nearer and nearer to God he is still a turning further and further from sin This makes the Penitent Soul to sigh and Rom. 7. mourn that he can get no nearer to God that he can get no further from sin The work of Repentance is not the work of an hour a day a yeer but the work of this life A sincere Penitent makes as much conscience of repenting Quid restat ò peccator nisi ut in tota vita tua deplores totam vitam tuam Anselmus O then what then remains but in our whole life to lament the sins of our whole life daily as he doth of believing daily and he can as easily content himself with one act of Faith or Love or Joy as he can content himself with one act of Repentance My sins are ever before me sayes David Next to my being kept from sin I count
it the greatest mercy in the world to be still a mourning over sin sayes the Penitent soul The Penitent soul never ceases repenting till he ceases living He goes to Heaven with the joyful tears of Repentance in his eyes He knows that his whole life is but a day of sowing tears that he may at last reap everlasting joyes That Repentance that accompanies Salvatition is a final forsaking of sin It is a bidding sin an everlasting adieu it is a taking an eternal farwel of sin a never turning to folly more What have I to do any more with Idols says Ephraim Hos 14. 8. I have tasted of the bitterness that is in sin I have tasted of the sweetness of divine mercy in pardoning of sin therefore away sin I will never have to do with you more you have robbed Christ of his service and me of my comfort and crown Away away sin you shall never be courted nor countenanced by me more That man that onely puts off his sins in the day of adversity as he doth his garments at night when he goes to bed with an intent to put them on again in the morning of prosperity never yet truly repented He is a dog that returns to the vomit again he is a swine that returns to the wallowing in the mire such a dog was Judas such a swine was Demas It is an extraordinary vanity in some men to lay aside their sins before solemn duties but with a purpose to return to them again as the Serpent layeth aside his poyson when he goeth to drink and when he hath drunk he returns to it again as they fable it It is sad when men say to their lusts as Abraham said to his servants Abide you here and I will go and worship and return again to you Gen. 22. 5. Verily such souls are far off from that Repentance that accompanies Salvation for that makes a final and everlasting separation between sin and the soul it makes such a divorce between sin and the soul and puts them so far a sunder that all the world can never bring them to meet as two lovers together The Penitent Soul looks upon sin and deals with sin not as a friend but as an enemy it deals with sin as Amnon dealt with Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 15. And Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater then the love wherewith he had loved her And Amnon said unto her Arise be gone Just thus doth the Penitent Soul carry it self towards sin And thus you see what Repentance that is that accompanies Salvation The fourth thing I am to shew is What Obedience that is that doth accompany Salvation That Obedience doth accompany Salvation I have formerly proved Now what this Obedience is that doth accompany or comprehend Salvation I shall shew you in these following particulars First That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is cordial and hearty the heart the inward man doth answer and eccho to the Word and Will of God The Believer knows That no Obedience but hearty Obedience is acceptable to Christ he knows Isa 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. The heart is Camâ—ra omnipotentis regis i. e. The presence chamber of the King of Heaven and that upon which his eye his hand his heart is most set that nothing takes Christs heart but what comes from the heart Christ was hearty in his obedience for me sayes the Believer and shall not I be hearty in my obedience to him Christ will lay his hand of love his hand of acceptance upon no obedience but what flows from the heart Rom. 6. 9. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you So in Rom. 7. ult So then with the minde I myself serve the Law of God My heart sayes Paul is in my obedience So in Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Many serve God with their bodies but I serve him with my spirit many serve him with the outward man but I serve him with my inward man God hath written his Law in Ezek. 36. 26 27. Believers hearts and therefore they cannot but obey it from the heart I delight to do thy will O my God how so why thy Law is within my heart or in the midst of my bowels as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath it The heart within ecchoes and answers to the Commandments without as a Book written answers to his minde that writes it as face answers to face as the impression on the wax answers to the character engraven on the seal The Scribes and Pharisees were much in the outward obedience of the Law but their hearts were not in their obedience and therefore all they did signified nothing in the account of Christ who is onely taken with outward actions as they flow from the heart and affections their souls were not in their services and therefore all their services were lost services They were very glorious in Matth. 23. their outward profession but their hearts were as filthy Sepulchres their out-sides shined as the Sun but their in-sides were as black as Hell They were like the Egyptians Temples beautiful without but filthy within Well remember this No action no service goes for current in Heaven but that which is sealed up with integrity of heart God will not be put off with the shell when we give the Devil the Kernel Secondly That Obedience that accompanies Salvation is universal as well as cordial the soul falls in with every part and point of Gods will so far as he knows it without prejudice or partiality without tilting the ballance on one side or another A soul Non eligit mandata He doth not pick and chuse He obeyes all in respect of his sincere purpose desire and endeavor and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat Obedience c. sincerely obedient will not pick and chuse what commands to obey and what to reject as Hypocrites do he hath an eye to see an ear to hear and a heart to obey the first Table as well as the second and the second as well as the first he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second as Hypocrites do neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first as prophane men do he obeys not out of humor but out of duty he obeys not out of choice but out of conscience Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Look as Faith never singles out his object but layes hold on every object God holds forth for it to close with Faith doth not chuse this truth and reject that it doth not close with one and reject another Faith doth not say I will trust God in this case but not in that I will trust him for this mercy but not for that mercy I will trust him in this way but not in
The betrothed Virgin cannot shew more strong and vehement love to her beloved then by being sick and surprised with love-qualms when she meets him when she enjoyes him it was so here with the Spouse of Christ The love of Christ to Believers is a vehement love an ardent love witness his leaving his Fathers bosom his putting upon us his Royal Robes his bleeding his dying c. And it doth naturally beget Amor non nisi donum amantis Gul. Par. vehement and ardent Love in all the beloved of God Where Christ loves he always begets somewhat like himself Amor semper habet quid sui simile That love that is flat luke-warm or cold will leave a man to freeze a this side Heaven it will fit him for the warmest place in Hell Dives love was very cold and he found the flames of Hell to be very hot That love that accompanies Salvation is full of heat and fire Fifthly That Love that accompanies Salvation is lasting Love it is permanent Love the objects of it are lasting the springs and causes of it are lasting the nature of it is lasting The Primitive Christians loved not Revel 12. 11. their lives unto the death Persecutors have taken away the Martyrs lives for Christ but could never destroy their love to Christ Ephes 6. 24. Grace be 1 Cor. 13. 8. Love never faileth or as it is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 never falleth away but shall last for ever in Heaven in which respect the Apostle lifts it up above Faith Hope and all the common gifts of the Spirit in the same Chapter with all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity or in incorruption as the Greek word signifies whereby the Apostle gives us to understand That true love to Christ is not liable to corruption putrifaction or decay but is constant and permanent lasting yea everlasting That Love that accompanies Salvation is like to the Oyl in the Cruse and the Meal in the Barrel that wasted not it is like the Apple-Tree of Persia that buddeth blossometh and beareth fruit every moneth it is like the Lamp in the story that never went out it is like the Stone in Thracia that neither burneth in the fire nor sinketh in the water Cant. 8. 6 7. Love is stronger then death many waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Contemning it would be contemned Omnia vincit amor Love rides in her chariot of triumph over all calamities and miseries and cryes Victory victory cannot quench it nor thâ— floods cannot drown it If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would be contemned Love will out-live all enemies temptations oppositions afflictions persecutions dangers and deaths Loves Motto is Nulli cedo I yeeld to none Love is like the Sun the Sun beginning to ascend in his circle never goes back until he comes to the highest degree thereof True love abhors Apostacie it ascends to more perfection and ceases not until like Eliahs Fiery-Chariot it hath carried the Soul to Heaven Many mens love to Christ is like the Morning Dew it is like Jonahs Goard that came up in a night and vanished in a night But that love that accompanies Salvation is like Ruthes love a lasting and an abiding Ruth 1. love it is Love that will bed and board with the Soul that will lye down and rise up with the Soul that will to the fire to the prison to the grave to Heaven with the Soul Sixthly That love that accompanies Salvation is an abounding This is clear throughout the whole Book of Cantiâ—les as all may ruâ— and read love an increasing love Love in a Saint is like the Waters in Noahs time that rose higher and higher The very nature of true Love is to abound and rise higher and higher Phil. 1. 9. This I pray that your love may abound yet more and more The longer a Believer lives the more eminent and excellent Causes of Love he sees in Christ Christ discovers himself gradually to the Soul Now a Believers love to Christ rises answerable to the causes of love that he sees in Christ The more light the more love Knowledge and Love like the Water and the Ice beget each other Man loves Christ by knowing and knows Christ by loving Mans love is always answerable to his light he cannot love much that knows but little he cannot love little that knows much As a man rises higher and higher in his apprehensions of Amat Deus non aliunde hoc habet sed ipse est unde amat Aug. Christ so he cannot but rise higher and higher in his affections to Christ Again the daily Mercies and Experiences that they have of the love of Christ of the care of Christ of the bowels and compassions of Christ working more and more towards them cannot but raise their affections more and more to him As fire is encreased by adding of fuel unto it so is our love to Christ upon fresh and new manifestations of his great love towards us As the Husband abounds in his love to his Wife so the Wife rises in her love to her Husband the more love the Father manifests to the Childe the more the ingenuous Childe rises in his affections to him so the more love the Lord Jesus shews to us the more he is beloved by us Christ shewed much love to Mary Luke 7. 47 48 Magdalen and this raises in her much love to Christ She loved much for much was forgiven her As the Israelites in the three and thirtieth of Numbers removed their Tents from Mithkah to Chasmonah from sweetness to swiftness as the words import so the sweetness of Divine love manifested to the soul makes the soul more sweet swift and high in the exercise and actings of love towards Christ A Soul under special manifestations of Love weeps that it can love Christ no more Mr. Welch a Suffolk Minister weeping at Table and being asked the reason of it answered It was because he could love Christ no more The true lovers of Christ can never rise high enough in their love to Christ they count a little love to be no love great love to be but little strong love to be but weak and the highest love to be infinitely below the worth of Christ the beauty and glory of Christ the fulness sweetness and goodness of Christ The top of their misery in this life is That they love so little though they are so much beloved Seventhly and lastly That Love that accompanies Salvation is open love it is manifest love it is love that cannot be hid that cannot be covered and buried it is like the Sun it will shine forth and shew it self to all the world A man cannot love Christ but he will shew it in these and such-like things as follow First Divine Love makes the Soul even ready to break in longing after a further clearer and fuller enjoyment of Christ The voice of Divine love is
our daily Prayer saith one is Flagellum Diaboli fears our daily dangers our daily temptations c. be speak our daily Prayers Rom. 12. 12. Rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in Prayer It is a Metaphor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken from dogs that hunt that will not give over the game till they have got it A dog of all Creatures is best Augustines usual wish was That when Christ came he might finde him Aut precantem aut praedicantem either praying or preaching able to endure hunger he will run from place to place and never leave till he hath got his prey So a childe of God in his hunting after God Christ Grace Peace Mercy Glory never gives over till he hath found his heavenly prey Cant. 3. 4. At length I found him whom my soul loved I held him and would not let him go The Spouse never left hunting after her beloved till she had found him Gracious souls reckon As a hungry man eats as if he had never eat before that they have nothing till they speed in the things they sue for they pray as if they had never prayed and think that they have done nothing till they have done the deed It is observed by some of Proteus that he was wont to give certain Oracles but it was hard to make him speak and deliver them but he would turn himself into several shapes and forms yet if they would hold out and press him hard without fear into whatsoever form or shape he appeared they were sure to have satisfactory Oracles So if we will continue Hypocrites are inconstant in their prayers Job 27. 10. they are onely at it by sits and starts they are onely constant in inconstancy constant in our wrestling with God for blessings though God should appear to us in the form or shape of a Judge an Enemy a Stranger c. yet still to press him hard for mercy verily mercy will come at the long run and we shall say That it is not in vain for men to hold on praying though God for a time delayes giving the particular favors they sue for As that Emperor said Oportet Imperatorem stantem mori It behoves an Emperor to die standing So may I say Oportet Christianum mori precantem It behoves a Christian to die praying Fifthly To pray in a right manner is To pray sincerely Psal 17. 1. Give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The very Heathen gods woâ—ld be served in white the very emblem of purity feigned lips or as it is in the Hebrew without lips of deceipt Psal 145. 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him To all that call upon him in truth Your heart and tongue must go together word and work lip and life prayer and practise must eccho one to another or else all will be lost God lost Christ lost Heaven lost and the Soul lost for ever It is not the greatness of the voice nor the multitude of words nor the sweetness of the tone nor studied notions nor eloquent expressions that takes Jehovah Psal 51. 6. but truth in the inward parts When the Athenians would know of the Oracle the cause of their often unprosperous successes in battel against the Lacedemonians seeing they offered the choicest things they could get in sacrifice to the gods which their enemies did not The Oracle gave them this answer That the gods were better pleased with their inward supplication without ambition then with all their outward pomp in costly sacrifices Ah Souls the reason why you are so unsuccessful in your religious duties and services is Because you are no more sincere and upright in them were A Gentlewoman being in her Parlor in Meditation and Prayer cryed out O that I might ever enjoy this sweet communion with God and never change it The first part of her wish is precious in the latter part of the wish like Peter she said she knew not what there more singleness and sincerity of heart in your duties you would have surer and sweeter returns from Heaven One reports of Joachim the Father of the Virgin Mary that he would often say Cibus potus mihi erit oratio Prayer is my meat and drink Ah Christians the more sincere you are the more will Prayer be your meat and drink and the more prayer is a delight and pleasure to you the more will you be the pleasure and delight of God who delights in those that delight in his service and that count his work better then wages It was more troublesom to Severus the Emperor to be asked nothing then to give much when any of his Courtiers had not made bold with him he would call him and say Quid est cur nihil petis c. What meanest thou to ask me nothing So sayes Christ to upright souls Hitherto have ye asked nothing Aske and ye shall receive that your joy may be full John 16. 24. Christ hath a full purse a noble heart and a liberal hand The fourth requisit in Prayer is this viz. Your Prayer must be ad bonum Maxâ—milians Motto was Tene mensuram respice finem Keep thy self within compass and have alwayes an eye to the end of thy life and actions to a good end it must be to the glory of God and to the internal and eternal advantage of your own and others souls The chiefest end the white the mark at which the soul must aim in Prayer is Gods glory Whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God When God crowns us he doth but crown his own gifts in us and when we give God the glory of all we do we do but give him the glory that is due unto his Name For he works all our works in us and for us God measures all mens actions by their ends if the end be good all is good if the end be naught all is naught The end determineth the action All actions of worship are good or bad as the mark is at which the soul aims He that makes God the object of Prayer but not the end of Prayer doth but lose his Prayer and take pains to undo himself God will Lord saith Austin whatever thou hast given take all away onely give me thy self Isai 1. 11. Zach. 7. 5 Amos 5 22. Hos 7. 14. Many Heathens as Aristides Cato Themistecles with divers others did unfeignedly many great services for the common good and not for their own gain but yet they could not hit the mark the white Divine glory and so their most glorious actions were but glorious sins and would never turn to their souls accounts be all in all or he will be nothing at all he will be Alexander or Nemo he will be both the object and the end of Prayer or else he will abhor your Prayer Those Prayers never reach his ear they are never lodged in his
deliver me from my Bonds but O Rom. 7. 23. wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from my sins from this body of death David cryes not Perii but Peccavi Psal 51. Not I am undone but I have done foolishly But wicked men strive in Prayer more to get off their chains then to get off their sins more to be delivered from enemies without then lusts within more to get out of the Furnace then to be delivered from their Spiritual Bondage as the Scriptures Psal 78. 34. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Isai 26. 16 17. in the Margent do evidence Thirdly The Stream and Cream of a gracious Mans spirit runs most out in Prayer after Spiritual and Heavenly Psal 4. 6 7. 27 4. things as is abundantly evident by those Prayers of the Saints that are upon record throughout the Scripture But the Stream and Cream of vain mens spirits in Prayer runs most out after poor low carnal things as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together Hos 7. 14. Zach. 7. 5 6 7. Jam. 4. 3 c. Fourthly A gracious Soul looks and lives more upon God in Prayer then upon his Prayer He knows though Prayer be his Chariot yet Christ is his food Prayer may be a staff to support him but Christ is that Manna that must nourish him and upon him he looks and lives Psal 5. 3. In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee or Martial and set in order my Prayer as it is in the Hebrew and will look up or look out as it is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Pihil as a watchman looks out to dâ—scover the approaches of an enemy But vain men they live and look more upon their Prayers then they do upon God Nay usually they never look after their Prayers they never observe what returns they have from Heaven they are like those that shoot Arrows but do not minde where they fall Wicked men think it is Religion enough for them to pray and to look after their prayers to see how their prayers speed is no Article of their Faith But a gracious Soul is of a more noble spirit when he hath prayed he will stand upon his watch-tower and observe what God will speak Psal 85. 8. I will hear that God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints But let them not return to folly or as the Hebrew may be read And they shall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will lissen and lay my obedient ear to what the Lord shall speak not return to folly Veal iashubu le Chislah Wicked men would have God to be all ear to hear what they desire when themselves have never an ear to hear what he speaks But deaf ears shall always be attended with dumb answers Justice always makes mercy dumb when sin hath made the sinner deaf Fifthly No discouragements can take gracious Souls off from Prayer but the least discouragements will Aristotle though a Heathen could say That in some cases a man had better lose his life then be cowardly Ethic. 3. c. 1. take off carnal hearts from Prayer as you may see in the following Scriptures compared together Psal 40. 1 2. 44. 10-23 Matth. 15. 21-29 Mal. 3. 14. Isai 58. 1 2 3. Amos 8. 3 4 5 c. When one of the Ancient Martyrs was terrified with the threatnings of his persecutors he replied There is nothing saith he of things visible nothing of things invisible that I fear I will stand to my profession of the name of Christ and contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints come on it what will It is neither the hope of life nor the fear of death that can take a real Christian off from Prayer He is rather raised then dejected he is rather quickned then discouraged by delays or denials he will hold up and hold on in a way and course of Prayer though men should rage and Lyons roar and the Furnace be heat seven times hotter c. But it is not so with carnal hearts Job 27 9 10. Sixthly When a gracious man In his course his heart is in his Prayer he findes by experience that the heart is the Primum mobile the great wheel that moves all other wheels It is the chief Monarch in the Isle of Man prayes he hath his heart in his Prayer when he falls upon the work he makes heart-work on it So David in Psal 42. 4. When I remember these things I pour out my heart So Hannah in 1 Sam. 1. 15. I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit saith she and have poured out my soul before the Lord. So the Israelites in 1 Sam. 7. 6. Poured out their souls like water before the Lord. So the Church in Isa 26. 8 9. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Gracious Souls know The voice of God is Da Mihi cor that no Prayer is acknowledged accepted and rewarded by God but that wherein the heart is sincerely and wholly It is not a piece it is not a corner of the heart that will satisfie the Maker of the heart The true Mother would not have the childe divided As God loves a broken and a contrite heart so he loaths a divided heart God neither loves halting nor halving he will be served truly and totally The Royal Law is Thou shalt The heart as a Prince gives Laws to all other Members The Heart is Christs Bed of Spices it is his Presence Chamber it is his Royal Throne it is one of those four Keys that God keeps under his own girdle love and serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Among the Heathens when the Beasts were cut up for Sacrifice the first thing the Priest looked upon was the heart and if the heart was naught the Sacrifice was rejected Verily God rejects all those Sacrifices wherein the Heart is not Now wicked men are heartless in all their Services in all their Prayers as you may see in comparing the following Scriptures together I shall not transcribe the words because I must cut short the work Isai 29. 13. Matth. 15. 7 8 9. Ezek. 33. 30 31 32. Zach. 7. 4 5 6. 2 Chro. 25. 1 2. As the body without the soul is dead so Prayer Prayer without the heart is but an empty ring a tinckling symbal without the heart be in it is but dead Prayer in the eye and account of God Prayer is onely lovely and weighty as the heatt is in it and no otherwise It is not the lifting up of the voice nor the wringing of the hands nor the beating of the brests but the stirrings of the heart that God looks at in Prayer God hears no more then the
appear that Hope doth accompany Salvation it doth boarder upon eternal life The second thing that I am to shew you is What Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation that comprehends Salvation and that I shall do with as much brevity and perspicuity as I can in the following particulars First That Hope that accompanies Salvation is A grace of God whereby Spes est expectatio eorum quae verè à Deo promissa fides credidit Calvin 1 Tim. 6. 17. This very title The God of Hope may serve as a soveraign antidote against the blackest and horridest temptations for why should any despair of his mercy who hath proclaimed himself to be the God of Hope Spes est virtus qua inclinamâ—r ad expectationem eorum quae Deus nobis promisit Perkins we expect good to come patiently waiting till it come First I call it a Grace of God because he is the donor of it and therefore he is called the God of Hope Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Now God is called the God of Hope because he is objectivè the onely object of our Hope and he is effectivè the onely Author and Worker of Hope in the Soul Hope is no natural affection in men men are not born with hope in their hearts as they are born with tongues in their mouthes Hope is nobly descended it is from above it is a heavenly Babe that is formed in the soul of man by the power of the Holy Ghost And as Hope is no natural affection so Hope is no Moral vertue which men may attain by their frequent actions but Hope is a Theological vertue that none can give but God Secondly I say it is a Grace of God whereby we expect good to come I say good not evil for evil is rather feared then hoped for by any The object of this Hope hath four conditions 1. It must be Bonum good 2. Futurum future 3. Possibile possible 4. Arduum hard or difficult to obtain Thirdly I say Hope is a Grace of God whereby we expect good to come patiently waiting till it come Hope makes the Soul quiet and patient till it comes to possess the good desired and hoped for Rom. 8. 25. But if we hope for that we see not then do we with patience wait for it The Hebrew word Kavah that is often translated Hope signifies a very vehement intention both of body and minde a stretching forth of the Spirit or Minde in waiting for a desired good 2 Cor. 4. ult Hope fates well it keeps a Princes Table it lives upon Honey and Milk Oyl and Wine it sives upon the sweet meats the delicates of Heaven as God Christ and Glory Psal 31. 24. 33. 22. 38. 15. 42. 5. 43. 5. 39. 7. 71. 5. 65. 5. Secondly That Hope that accompanies Salvation is alwayes conversant about holy and heavenly objects as about God and Christ 1 Tim. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ which is our Hope In these words Christ is set forth as the chief object of our Hope because by his merits and mercy we hope to obtain the remission of our sins and the eternal Salvation of our souls Sometimes Hope is exercised about the Righteousness of Christ Gal. 5. 5. For we through the Spirit wait for the Hope of Righteousness by Faith Sometimes Hope is exercised about God the Father 1 Pet. 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God Jere. 14. 8. O the Hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble Chap. 17. 13. O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed Vers 17. Thou art my hope in the day of evil Sometimes Hope The Jewish Rabbins were wont to say That upon every Letter of the Law there hangs Mountains of profitable matter Ah then what abundance of comfort and sweetness may hope finde yea does hope finde in the Promises is exercised and busied about the Word and Promises Psal 119. 49. Remember the word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to Hope Vers 81. My soul fainteth for thy Salvation but I hope in thy Word Verse 114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy Word Psal 130. 5. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait And in his Word do I hope Psal 119. 74. They that fear thee will be glad when they see me Because I have hoped in thy Word Verse 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word Hope in the Promise will keep the head from aking and the heart from breaking it will keep both head and heart from sinking and drowning Hope exercised upon the promise brings Heaven down to the heart The Promises are the Ladder by which Hope gets up to Heaven Hope in the Promise will not onely keep life and soul together but it will also keep the soul and glory together Hope in Psal 4â— 5. 119. 49 50. compared Hol. 6. 1 2. the Promise will support distressed souls Hope in the Promise will settle perplexed souls Hope in the Promise will comfort dejected souls Hope in the Promise will reduce wandering souls Hope in the Promise will confirm staggering souls Hope in the Promise will save undone souls The Promise is the same to Hope that Rom. 8. 24. The Promises are Hopes rich Magazin Hope is to the Soul the Promise is the Anchor of Hope as Hope is the Anchor of the Soul Look what the Brests are to the Childe and Oyl is to the Lamp that are the Promises to Hope Hope lives and thrives as it feeds upon the Promises as it embraces the Promises The Promises are the sweet-meats of Heaven upon Heb. 11. 13. which Hope lives And every degree of Hope brings a degree of joy into the Soul which makes it cry out Heaven Heaven Again Hope is exercised about the glory and felicity the happiness Psal 16. ult Tit. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Looking for Christs coming as earnestly as men look and long for the coming of some special friends or as Inn-keepers do for special guests and blessedness that is at Gods right hand Tit. 2. 13. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. Hope makes a man stretch out his neck and put forth his hand and look as earnestly for the glorious appearing of Christ as Sisera's Mother did for the happy return of her Son The hoping Soul is often a sighing it out Why are his Charriot Wheels so long a coming Col 1. 5. For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven Hope in this place So in Rom. 8. 24 25. Col. 1. 27. Rom. 5. 2
c. is taken by a Metonimy for the things hoped for viz. All that glory and felicity that blessedness and happiness that is laid up for us in Heaven So in Heb. 6. 18. Who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Hope here is put for the object of Hope viz. Heaven and Happiness Hope layes such fast hold as the Greek word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies upon Heaven and Happiness that none shall ever be able to take those precious things out of Hopes hand So Hope is put for the glorious things hoped for Ephes 1. 18. And thus you see those precious and glorious objects about which that Hope that accompanies Salvation is exercised Thirdly That Hope that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation that borders upon Salvation is grounded upon the firmest foundations to wit the Promises of God as hath Psal 40. 4. Prov. 10. 28. been fully shewed before and it is built upon the Free-grace of God 1 Pet. 1. 13. It is built upon the infinite and glorious power of God Rom. 4. 21. It is built upon the truth and faithfulness of God 2 Tim. 2. 13. These precious and glorious Foundations do bear up the hopes of the Saints as the three Pillars bore up the hangings in the Tabernacle A Believers hope is founded upon the Love of Christ the Blood of Christ the Righteousness of Christ the Satisfaction of Christ and the Intercession of Christ c. But the hopes of Hypocrites and wicked men are always built upon weak slender and sandy foundations sometimes they build their hopes upon their outward profession upon their Lamps though Matth. 25. 3. they are empty Lamps and sometimes upon their duties and services as Isai 58 1 2 3. Matth. 6. Every false principle in Religion is a Reed of Egypt that will certainly deceive souls at last therefore take heed of leaning upon any of those Reeds the Jews Scribes and Pharisees did and sometimes upon their outward priviledges crying out The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and sometimes they build their hopes upon others good opinion of them and sometimes upon flashes of joy and sometimes upon enlargements in duties and sometimes upon the heat and vigor of their spirits in Religious services c. And all these are but sandy foundations and they that build their hope upon them will certainly fall and great will be their fall The hopes of the Saints are built upon the surest and the strongest foundations It was a good saying of one of the Ancients I Bernard Sâ—rm 3. de fragm Sept. Miser consider saith he three things in which all my hope consisteth to wit 1. Gods love in my Adoption 2. The truth of his Promise And 3. his power of performance Therefore let my foolish cogitation murmur as long as it list saying Who art thou or what is that glory or by what merits dost thou hope to attain it For I can answer with sure confidence I know 2 Tim. 1. 12. on whom I have believed And I am certain First That in his love he adopted me Secondly That he is true in his promise And thirdly That he is able to perform it This is the threefold cord which is not easily broken Fourthly That Hope that accompanies Salvation that borders upon Salvation that comprehends Salvation that brings Salvation may be known from all false hopes by the excellent properties of it and they are these that follow The first property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It Matth 6. 20 21. Phil 3. 20 Col 3. 1. Mark wicked mens hopes never raise them as high as Heaven under all their hopes they are as very enemies and as great strangers to God Christ and Heaven as ever elevates and raises the heart to live above where its treasure is This Hope is from above and it makes the heart to live above it is a spark of glory and it leads the heart to live in glory Divine hope carries a man to Heaven for life to quicken him and for wisdom to direct him and for power to uphold him and for righteousness to justifie him and for holiness to sanctifie him and for mercy to forgive him and for assurance to rejoyce him and for happiness to crown him Divine hope takes in the pleasures of Heaven before hand it lives in the joyful expectation of them it fancies to it self as I may say the pleasures and joyes of eternity and lives in a sweet anticipation of what it possesseth by Faith Hopes richest treasures and choicest friends and chiefest delights and sweetest contents are in the Country above and therefore Hope loves best to live there most A second property of that Hope that accompanies Salvation is this It will strengthen the Soul against all afflictions oppositions and temptations Dan. 3. 57. Psal 4. 6 7. Heb. 10 34. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. 1 Thes 5. 8. But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the brest-plate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation Look as the Helmet defends and secures the head so doth Hope defend and secure the heart Hope is a Helmet that keeps off all darts that Satan or the world casts at the Soul The hopes of heavenly riches made It was a wicked and hopeless Cardinal that said He would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise those worthies in that eleventh of the Hebrews to despise the riches of this world The hopes they had of a heavenly Countrey made them willing to leave their own Countrey and to live in the very Land of Promise as in a strange Countrey The hopes they had of possessing at last a house not made with hands but eternal in the Heavens made them willingly and cheerfully to live in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the Earth The hopes they had of a glorious Resurrection made them couragiously to withstand the strongest temptations c. A Saints hope will out-live Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. Some are verily perswaded that the want of this Divine hope hath been the reason that many among the Heathen have laid violent hands upon themselves See Plutarch in Caesar and Catoes lives Heb. 11. 10 14 16 25 32 compared all fears and cares all tryals and troubles all afflictions and temptations Saints have much in hope though little in hand they have much in reversion though but little in possession they have much in the promise though but little in the purse A Saint can truly say Spero meliora my hopes are better then my possessions Hope can see Heaven through the thickest clouds Hope can see light through darkness life through death smiles through frowns and glory through misery Hope holds life and soul together it holds Christ and the Soul together it holds the Soul and the Promises together it holds the Soul and Heaven together
when he comes to die that his hope will be like the morning dew like the Spiders web like the crackling of thorns under a pot and like the giving up of the ghost Job 8. 13 14. 11. 20. 27. 8. Prov. 14. 32. 11. 7. And this is now the upright mans joy that who ever leaves him yet his hope will not leave him till he hath put on his Crown and is set down in Paradise And thus you see what Hope that is that doth accompany Salvation before I close up this Chapter take these two Cautions with you they make for your comfort and settlement The first Caution is this That all Caution 1. The Scripture tells you of Saints of several sizes some are babes some are children some are yongmen some are old men now all these do noâ— attain to the same degree but hâ—ppy is he that hath the least degree Saints have not these things that accompany Salvation in the same degree if thou hast but the least measure or degree of that Knowledge that accompanies Salvation or of that Faith that accompanies Salvation or of that Repentance or of that Obedience or of that Love c. that accompanies Salvation thou mayest be as assuredly confident of thy Salvation as if thou wast already in Heaven The least degree O Christian of those things that accompany Salvation will certainly yeeld thee a Heaven hereafter and why then should it not yeeld thee a Heaven here It will undoubtedly yeeld thee a Crown at last and why should it not yeeld thee Comfort and Assurance now I judge it may if thou art not an enemy to thine own Soul and to thy own Peace and Comfort The second Caution is this Though Caution 2. No Saints are at all times ensâ—ble that all those precious things that accompany Salvatâ—â—n aâ—e iâ— them It is not always day with the Saints thou doest not finde every one of those things in thee that do accompany Salvation yet if thou doest finde some of those things I though but a few of those things yea though but one of those things that accompanies Salvation that comprehends Salvation that borders upon Salvation thy estate is safe and happiness will be thy portion at last Thy sense and feeling of one of those precious things that accompanies Salvation should be of more power to work thee to conclude that thy estate is good then any other thing should work thee to conclude that all is naught and that thou shalt miscarry at last Do not alwayes side with sin and Satan against thine own precious Soul Having thus discovered to you the Way and Means of attaining to a wel-grounded Assurance I shall now hasten to a close CHAP. VI. Shewing the difference between a true and a counterfeit Assurance between sound Assurance and Presumption FIrst A sound and wel-grounded Assurance is attended with a deep admiration of Gods transcendent love and favor to the Soul in the Lord Jesus The assured Soul is often a breathing it out thus Ah Lord who am I what am I that thou shouldst give into my bosome the white stone of Absolution Revel 2. 17. The white stone given among the Romans was a sign of Absolution and the black stone was a sign of condemnation when the world hath given into their bosoms onely the black stone of Condemnation Lord what mercy is this that thou shouldst give me Assurance give me water out of the Rock and feed me with Manna from Heaven when many of thy dearest ones spend their days in sighing mourning and complaining for want of Assurance Lord what manner of love is this that thou shouldst set me upon thy knee embrace me in thy arms lodge me in thy bosome and kiss me with the sweet kisses of thy blessed mouth with those kisses that are better then Cant. 1. 2. Psal 63. 3. wine yea better then life when many are even weary of their lives because they want what I enjoy Ah Lord by what name shall I call this Mercy Assurance is a wonderful Alchimy it changeth Iron to Gold Ignominies to Crowns and all sufferings to delights this Assurance that thou hast given me It being a mercy that fits me to do duties to bear crosses and to improve mercies that fits me to speak sweetly to judge righteously to give liberally to act seriously to suffer cheerfully and to walk humbly I cannot sayes the assured Soul but sing it out with Moses Who is like unto thee O Exod. 15. 11. Lord amongst the gods Who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders And with the Apostle O the height the depth the length and Eph. 3. 18 19. Assurance of Christs love made Jerome admiringly to say O my Saviour didst thou die for love of me alone more dolorous then death but to me a death more lovely then love it self I cannot live love thee and be longer from thee breadth of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge If the Queen of Sheâ—a sayes the assured Soul was so swallowed up in a deep admâ—ration of Solomons wisdom greatness goodness excellency and glory that she could not but admiringly breathe it thus out Happy are thy men happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom O then how should that blessed Assurance that I have of the love of God of my interest in God of my union and communion with God of my blessedness here and my happiness hereafter work me to a deep and serious to a real and perpetual admiration of God! Secondly A wel-grounded Assurance doth alwayes beget in the Soul an earnest and an impatient longing after a further a clearer and fuller enjoyment of God and Christ Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God here is David though in a wilderness seeks not for bread or water or protection but for more of God Phil. 1. 23. Assurance well what follows Early will I seek thee My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty Land where no water is The assured Soul cryes out I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ And Make haste Cant. 8. 14. my beloved And Come Lord Jesus come Revel 22. 17. quickly O Lord Jesus sayes the assured The assured Souls Motto is O my God when shall I be with thee when shall I be with thee Soul thou art my light thou art my life thou art my love thou art my joy thou art my crown thou art my heaven thou art my all I cannot but long to see that beautiful face that was spit upon for my sins and that glorious head that was crowned with thorns for my transgressions I long to take some turns with thee in Paradise to see the glory of thy Jerusalem above to drink of those Rivers of pleasures that be at thy right hand to taste of all the delicates of thy Kingdom and to be acquainted with those
secrets and Ephes 3. 5. Col. 1. 26. mysteries that have been hid from all ages and to be swallowed up in the full enjoyment of thy Blessed Self Thirdly A wel-grounded Assurance is usually strongly assaulted by Satan The Devil marcheth well armed and in good array saith Luther on all sides Satan is such a grand enemy to the Joy and Peace to the Salvation and Consolation of the Saints that he cannot but make use of all his devices and stratagems to amaze and amuse to disturb and disquiet the peace and rest of their Souls No sooner had Jesus Christ heard that lovely voice from Heaven This is my Matth. 3. ult 4. 1 2 c. beloved Son in whom I am wel-pleased but he is desperately assaulted by Satan in the Wilderness No sooner was Paul 2 Cor. 12. dropped out of Heaven after he had seen such visions of glory that was unutterable but he was presently assaulted and buffetted by Satan Stand up stand up assured Christians and tell me whether you have not found the Isa 25. 4. blast of the terrible one to be as a storm against the wall Since the Lord I verily think that they have very much cause to question the truth of their assurance who know not what it is to have their assurance assaulted strongly by Sâ—tan said unto you be of good chear your sins are forgiven you Have not you found Satan to play the part both of the Lyon and the Woolf of the Serpent and the Fox and all to weaken your Assurance and to work you to question the truth of your Assurance and to cast water upon your Assurance and to take off the freshness and sweetness the beauty and glory of your Assurance I know you have His malice envy and enmity is such against Satan is that old Serpent as John speaks Revel 12. 9. He is as old as the World and is grown very cunning by experience he being a spirit of above five thousand years standing Gods honor and glory and your comfort and felicity that he cannot but be very studious and industrious to make use of all traps snares methods and wayes whereby he may shake the pillars of your Faith and weaken and overthrow your Assurance Pirates you know do most fiercely assault those ships and vessels that are most richly laden so doth Satan those precious souls that have attained to the riches of full Assurance Assurance makes a Paradise in Believers Souls and this makes Satan to roar and rage Assurance fits a man to do God the greatest service and Satan the greatest dis-service and this makes him mad against the Soul Assurance makes a Saint to be too hard for Satan at all weapons yea to Rom. 8. 32. ult lead that Sun of the Morning captive to spoil him of all his hurting power to bind him in chains and to triumph over him and this makes his Hell a great deal hotter and therefore never Luther cryes out I am set upon by all the world without and within by the devil and all his Angels wonder at Satans assaulting your Assurance but expect it and look for it The Jaylor is quiet when his prisoner is in Bolts but if he be escaped then he pursues him with hugh and cry so long as the Soul is in bolts and bondage under Satan Satan is quiet and is not so apt to molest and vex it but when once a Soul is made free and John 8. 36. assured of his freedom by Christ then sayes Satan as once Pharaoh did I Exod. 15. 9. will arise I will pursue I will overtake I will divide the spoil my lust shall be satisfied upon them I will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them The experience of all assured Saints doth abundantly confirm this Israel going into Egypt had no enemies no opposition but travelling into Canaan they were never free Fourthly A wel-grounded Assurance makes a man as bold as a Lyon it makes him valiant and gallant for Prov. 28. 1. Tanto plâ—â— gloriae referemus quoniam eo plures superabimus The number of opposers makes the Christians conquest the more illustrious say Saints under the power of Assurance c. Christ and his cause in the face of all dangers and deaths After the Holy Ghost was faln upon the Apostles and had assured them of their internal and eternal Happiness O how bold how undanted how resolute were they in the face of all oppositions afflictions and persecutions as you may see from the second of the Acts of the Apostles to the end of the Acts. So Assurance had this operation upon Davids heart Psal 23. 4 6. compared Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Well David but how doth this Assurance of yours operate Why saith he Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil So Moses having an Assurance of the recompence of reward he fears not the wrath of the King for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Was constant he endured as seeing him who is invisible Heb. 11. 26 27. So in Heb. 10. 34. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowing that you have in your selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a better being in Heaven and an abiding one ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance O that Knowledge that Assurance that they had in their own hearts of enjoying in Heaven a better and a more enduring substance made them bear cheerfully and gallantly the spoiling of their worldly goods Though the Archers the World the Flesh and the Devil do shoot sore at a Soul under Assurance yet his Bowe will still abide in strength Assurance will make a man to break a Bowe of Steel to trample down strength and to triumph over all oppositions and afflictions Colonus the Dutch Martyr called to the Judge that had sentenced him to death and desired him to lay his hand upon his heart and asked him whose heart did most beat his or the Judges Assurance will make a man do this and much more for Christ and his Cause Fifthly A wel-grounded Assurance of a mans own eternal Happiness and Blessedness will make him very studious and laborious to make others happy Psal 66. 16. Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul I will acquaint you with the soul-blessings with the soul-favors that God hath crowned me with I was darkness but he hath Eph. 5. 8. 1 Cor. 1. 30. made me light I was unrighteousness but he hath made me righteous I was Col. 2. 10. Isa 1. 6. Ephes 5. 26 27. Cant. 4. 7. deformed but he hath made me compleat I was full of sores and spots and blemishes but he hath washed me and made me all fair without spot or wrinkle I have found the want of Assurance I now
see the worth of Assurance I have long sought Assurance and now I finde the sweetness of Assurance Ah it is such a Pearl of price it is such a Beam of God it is such a spark of glory that makes my Soul a rich amends for all its waiting weeping and wrastling So when it pleased Gal. 1. 15 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In me God to call Paul by his grace and to reveal Christ in him and to him Ah how doth he labor as for life to bring others to an acquaintance with Christ and to an acceptance of Christ and to an Assurance of Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness by Christ After Paul had been in Paradise he makes it his 2 Cor. 12. all to bring others to Paradise So the Spouse in the Canticles having assurance Cant. 5. 10 ult 6. 1 c. of her interest in Christ how doth she labor by all holy and heavenly Rhetorick and Logick by all the strains of love and sweetness to draw the daughters of Jerusalem to a sight of Christ and to an assurance of the love of Christ When a Beam of Divine light and love had shined upon Andrew John 1. 40 41 42. he labors to draw his Brother Simon to the Fountain of all light and love and when Philip had but a cast of Vers 43 44 45 46 47. Christs countenance his pulse beats and his heart calls upon Nathaniel to come and share with him in that loving kindness that was better then life The constant cry of Souls under the power of Assurance is Come taste and Psal 34. 8. see how good the Lord is Ah sinners sinners his wayes are wayes of pleasantness Prov. 3. 17. 1 John 5. 3. and all his paths are peace his commands are not grievous but joyous his yoke Matth. 11. 30. is easie and his burden is light not onely for keeping but also in keeping of Psal 19. 11. his commands there is great reward Assurance will strongly put men upon winning of others by counsel by example by prayer and by communicating their Spiritual Experiences to them Assurance will furnish a man with will skill and experience to confute all those false reports that vain men frequently cast upon the Lord and his ways It will make a man proclaim to the world That one Psal 84. 10. day in the Lords courts is better then a thousand years elswhere That there are more glorious joyes more pure comforts more abiding peace more royal contents more celestial delights in one dayes walking with God in one hours communion with God c. then is to be found in all things below God And by these and such like wayes Souls under the power of a wel-grounded Assurance do endeavor to make others happy with themselves A Soul under Assurance is unwilling to go to Heaven without company he is often a crying out Father bless this Soul too and crown that Soul too Let us to Heaven together let us be made happy together Sixthly A wel-grounded Assurance of Gods love and of a mans Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness will exceedingly arm and strengthen him against all wickedness and baseness No man loaths sin and himself for sin Ezek. 16 60 61 62 63. as such a man no man wars and watches against sin more then such a man no man sighs and mourns Rom. 7. 22 ult bleeds and complains under the sense of sinful motions and sinful operations Luke 7. 44. ult more then such a man Every stirring of sin makes a man that is under the power of Assurance to cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Psal 85. 8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints And let them not turn again to folly or as the Hebrew will bear And they shall not return to folly Gods speaking peace to his people fences and fortifies them against folly and vanity The Assurance that Joseph had of his Masters love armed him against the lascivious assaults of his lustful Mistress and will not Divine love that is stronger then death do this Cant 8. 6 7. and more Assurance makes a man say to his sins as he to his Idols get you hence for What have I any Hosea 14. 8. compared with the 2 3 4 5 6. versâ—â— more to do with Idols So sayes the assured Soul away pride away passion away worldly mindedness away uncleanness away uncharitableness c. For what have I any more to do with you Assurance makes the Soul speak to sin as David speaks to sinners Psal 119. 115. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I will keep the Commandments of my God So sayes the assured Soul depart from me O my lusts for I have tasted of the love of God and I have given up my self wholly and oneâ—y to God and I cannot but keep the Commandments of my God The Jewish Rabbins report that the same night that Israel departed out of Egypt towards Canaan all the Idols and idolatrous Temples in Egypt by Lightning and Earthquakes were broken down So when Christ and Assurance comes to be set up in the Soul all the Idols of Satan and a mans own heart are cast down and cast out as an abomination Sound Assurance puts a man upon purifying himself even as Christ is 1 John 3. 2 3. pure The assured Christian knows That it is dangerous to sin against light that it is more dangerous to sin against love that it is most dangerons to sin against love revealed and manifested God may well say to such a Christian Is this thy kindness to thy friend To sin under Assurance is to sin against the Bowels of Mercy it is to sin against the choicest Remedy it is to sin against the highest Hopes of Glory and this will certainly provoke God to be angry 1 Kings 11. 9. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord was angry with Solomon because Vaiithannaph in Pihil to shew that the Lord was greatly angry with Solomon the Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly to snuff with anger It notes such anger as appeareth in the paleness of the face and snuffing of the nose his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel that had appeared to him twice To sin under Assurance is to sin in Paradise it is to sin under the flaming sword it is to sin in the Suburbs of Heaven it is to run the hazard of losing that favor that is better then life of that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and of that peace that passes understanding To sin under Assurance is to cast reproach upon Christ to grieve the Spirit to wound Conscience to weaken your Graces to blur your Evidences to usher in Calamities to imbitter your Mercies and to provoke the Tempter to triumph over your Saviour Verily that Assurance is but
presumption that works men to play with sin to be bold with sin to make light of sin to walk on in wayes of sin Such Assurance will never bring a man to Heaven it will never keep him from dropping into Hell yea it will double his damnation and make him the most miserable among all damned miserable forlorn spirits Ah Lord from This made Auselm say That he had rather be thrust into Hell without sin then go into Heaven with sin such an assurance deliver my Soul and give me more and more of that Divine Assurance that makes sin to be more hateful then Hell and that makes the Soul to be more careful to avoid the one then it is fearful of falling into the other Seventhly A wel-grounded Assurance is alwayes attended with three fair Handmaids or with three sweet Companions The first is Love O! the Assurance 1. Handmaid of Divine Favor doth mightily inflame a mans love to Christ Mary Magdalen Luke 7. loved much Christs love to her drew out her love very much to Christ Assurance makes the Soul sing it out with that sweet Singer of Israel I will dearly love thee O Lord my Psal 18. 1. strength Lovers know not how to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To love intimately and dearly as a tender mother loves the fruit of her womb keep silence lovers of Christ are full of gracious expressions Magnes amor is est amor Love is the attractive Loadstone of love It is impossible for a Soul not to love Christ that knows he is beloved of Christ Christs love constrains the Soul to love not by forcible but loving necessity Praxiteles exquisitly drew Love taking the pattern from that Passion which he felt in his own heart A Believer cannot finde the heart of Christ to be beating towards him but his heart will strongly beat towards Christ Divine love is like a rod of myrtle which as Pliny reports makes the Traveller that carries it in his hand that he shall never be faint or weary of walking or loving Love alone over-powereth all power Love is the Diadem none but the Queen must wear it Love is the Wedding Garment none but the Spouse can fit it Love is a Loadstone to draw as well as a fire to warm he that doth not love Christ was never assured of the love of Christ The second Handmaid or Companion 2. Handmaid that attends a wel-grounded Assurance is Humility David under Assurance Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hebrew word Tolagnah that is here rendred Worm signifies a very little worm which a man can hardly see or perceive cryes out I am a worm and no man Abraham under Assurance cryes out that he is but dust and ashes Jacob under Assurance crves out that he was less then the least of all mercies Job under Assurance abhors himself in dust and ashes Moses had the honor and the happiness to speak with God face to face he was very much in Gods books in Gods favor and yet a more humble Soul the earth did never bear The great Apostle Paul under all the revelations and glorious manifestations of God to him counts himself less then the least of all Saints Ephe. 3. 8. That is Presumption that is a delusion of the Devil and no sound Assurance that puffs and swels the Souls of men that makes men prize themselves above the market above the value that God hath put upon them The third Handmaid or Companion 3. Handmaid that attends Assurance is holy Joy Ah this Assurance causes the strong waters of Consolation to overflow the Soule Assurance raises the strongest joyes in the Soul Luk. 1. 46 47. And Mary said My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour When a man comes to be assured that God is his Savior presently his Spirit rejoyces in God this truth is held forth by three Parables in that of Luk. 15. So in that of 1 Pet. 1. 8 9. Whom having not seen ye love in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to dance and leap for joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glorified already they have heavens happinesse before hand whom though now ye see him not yet bebeleeving ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Receiving the end of your faith even the salvation of your souls O the Joy the Joy the inexpressible Joy that attends a wel-grounded Assurance Assurance raises a Paradise of delight in the soul In quibus operamur in ill is gaudemus saith Tertull. In what things or persons we act in those things we rejoyce a Christian under the power of Assurance works all his works in Christ in him therefore and in him alone he rejoyceth Eightly and lastly A wel-grounded Assurance sometimes springs from the Testimony and Witnesse of the Spirit of God The Spirit sometimes witnesses to a Beleevers spirit that he is born of God that he is beloved of God that he hath union and communion with God that he shal reign for ever with God Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That same spirit The Spirits work is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to witnesse together with our Spirit that is to confirme and ratifie what ou◠spirits have asserted concerning our Adoption c. spirit that we are the children of God The Spirit it self witnesseth not onely the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit but the Spirit it self witnesseth together with our own spirit that we are the children of God Sometimes the Saints have two Witnesses joyning their testimonies together to confirm and establish them in these blessed and glorious Truths that they are the Sons of God and Heirs of Glory And this is their honor as well as their comfort that the blessed Spirit should bear witness at the bar of their Consciences that they are the Sons of God 1 Cor. God sometimes assures his people of heaven aforehand 2. 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God That is that we may know our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification and Glorification A man may receive many things that are freely given of God and yet not know them till the Spirit comes and makes them known to the soul Quest But you may say to me how shall wee know the whispering of the holy Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent how shall we know the report the witnesse and testimony of the Spirit of Christ from that report witnesle and testimony that the old Serpent deludes and deceives many by in these daies wherein he mostly appears in his Angelicall Robes I Answer you may know the whispering Answ of the Spirit from the hissing of the old Serpent c. by these following things which I desire that you
should never make pleasant musick no more would the Spirit it he should be alwaies a doing one thing in the soule therefore he acts variously sometimes he will shew himselfe a quickning Spirit sometimes an enlightning Spirit sometimes an humbling Spirit sometimes a rejoycing Spirit sometimes a sealing Spirit and alwayes a surporting Spirit c. Fifthly The testimony and witness of the Spirit is a sure testimony a Titus 1. 2. John 14. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 10 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3 4 sure witness the Spirit is truth it self he is the great searcher of the deep things of God the Spirit of the Lord is the Discoverer the Confuter and Destroyer of all false spirits The Spirit is above all possibility of being deceived he is omnipotent he is omniscient he is omnipresent he is one of the Cabinet-Councel of Heaven he lies and lives in the bosome of the Father and can call them all by name upon whom the Father hath set his heart and therefore his testimony must needs be true It is a surer testimony then if a man should hear a voice from Heaven pronouncing him to be happy and blessed You may safely and securely lay the weight of your souls upon this testimony it never hath it never will deceive any that hath leaned upon it This testimony will be a rock that will bear up a soul When other false testimonies will be but a reed of Egypt that will deceive the soul that will undoe the soul As I am afraid many in this deluding age have found by sad experience Sixthly The testimony of Gods I do not say that the testimony of our spirits is always accompanied with the testimony of the Spirit No for a Beleever hath often the single testimony of his own spirit when he wants the testimony of the Spirit of Christ and the single testimony of his own conscience wil afford him much courage and comfort 2 Cor. 1. 12. Yea it wil make a paradise of delight in his soul c. Spirit is alwayes accompanied with the testimony of our own these may be distinguished but they can never be separated when the Spirit of God gives in witnesse for a man his own spirit doth not give in witnesse against him Look as face answers to face so doth the witness of a Beleevers spirit answer to the witness of the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit witnesseth together with our spirits that we be the Sons of God Now if our own Consciences do not testifie first that we are Sons and Heirs the Spirit doth not testifie for the Spirit beares witness together with our spirits St. John is very expresse in 1 Joh. 3. 21. But if our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence toward God But if our hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things 1 Joh. 5. 8 9 10 11 12. And there are three that bear witness in Earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one The Spirit doth witness eminently and efficiently but Water and Blood materially and our spirits and Reason instrumentally By the Spirit we may understand the Holy Ghost by whose strength wee lay hold on Christ and all his benefits by Water we may understand our Regeneration our Sanctification and by Blood we may understand the blood and righteousness of Christ that is imputed and applyed by faith to us and these three agree in one that is they doe all three of one accord testifie the same thing Seventhly The witness of the Spirit is ever according to the Word there is a sweet harmony between the inward and outward testimony between the Spirit of God and the VVord of God The Scriptures were 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. all indicted by the Spirit and therefore the Spirit cannot contradict himselfe which he should do if he should give in any testimony contrary to the testimony of the word It is blasphemy to make the testimony of the â—pirit to contradict the testimony of the Word The Spirit hath revealed his whole mind in the Word and he will not give a contrary testimony to what he hath given in the Word The Word saith they that are born again that are new Creatures that beleeve and repent shall be saved But thou art born again thou art a new Creature thou beleevest and repentest therefore thou shalt be saved saith the Spirit The Spirit never looseth where the Word bindeth the Spirit never justifies where the Word condemnes the Spirit never approves where the Word disapproves the Spirit never blesses where the VVord curses In Deu. l 3. 1 2 3 4 the Old Testament all Revelations were to be examined by the VVord Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light or no morning in them So in that of John 16. We are not only blind but lame too therefore the Spirit shall lead us to the knowledge and practice of all necessary saving truths 13. The Spirit shall lead you into all truth for he shall not speak of himselfe but what he shall hear that shall he speak Here the Holy Ghost is brought in as some Messenger or Ambassador who onely relates things faithfully according to that he hath in charge Such as look and lean upon the hissing of the old Serpent may have a testimony that they are happy against the testimony of the VVord But where ever the Spirit of Christ gives in his â—estimony it is stil according to the VVord Look as Indenture answers to Indenture or as the Counterpaine exactly answers to the principall Conveyance there is Article for Article Clause for Clause Covenant for Covenant word for word So doth the testimony of the Spirit exactly answer to the testimony of the VVord Eighthly It is a Holy witness a holy Nil nisi sanctuÌ„ à sancto spiritu prodire potest Nothing can come from the Holy Spirit but that which is holy testimony it is formally holy it is originally holy it is effectually holy Nothing makes the heart more in the love study practise and growth of holines then the glorious testimony of the Holy Spirit and the more clear ful the testimony is the more holy and gracious it will make the Soule Nothing puts such golden Engagements upon the soul to holiness as the Spirit sealing a man up to the day of Redemption as the Spirits speaking and sealing Peace Love and pardon to the Soul Psal 85. 8. 1 Cor. 15. 31. 2 Cor. 5. 14. Nothing makes a man more careful to please Christ more fearful to offend Christ more studious to exalt Christ and more circumspect to walk with Christ then this testimony of the Spirit of Christ Verily that is not the blessed whispering of Christs Spirit but the hissing of the old Serpent that makes men bold with sin that makes men dally with sin that makes
all the world yea Ten thousand worlds When the Spanish Ambassador boasted that his Master was King of such a place and of such a place and of such a place c. The French Ambassador answered My Master is King of France K. or France K. of France signifying thereby that France was as much or more worth then all the Kingdoms under the power of the King of Spain Ah Christians when the men of the world shall cry out O their riches O their honors O their preferments c. You may well cry out O Assurance Assurance Assurance there being more real worth and glory in that then is to be found in all the wealth and glory of the world therefore do not envy the outward prosperity and felicity of worldly men c. Thirdly If God hath given you Use 3 Assurance then give no way to slavish fears fear not the scorn and reproaches of men Fear not wants God will Saul had but five pence to give the Seer the Seer after much good chear gives him freely the Kingdom 1 Sam. 9. 8. 10. 1. So God deals with his not deny him a crust to whom he hath given a Christ he will not deny him a crumb upon whom he hath bestowed a Crown he will not deny him a less mercy upon whom he hath bestowed Assurance which is the Prince of mercies Fear not death for why shouldst thou fear death that hast Assurance of a better life c. Fourthly If God hath given you a Use 4 wel-grounded Assurance of your Everlasting Happiness and Blessedness then question his love no more God doth not love to have his love at every turn called in question by those that he hath once assured of his love He doth expect that as no sin of ours doth Psal 89. 30 31 32 33 34 35. Jere. 31. 3. make any substantial alteration in his affections to us so none no not his sharpest dispensations should make any alteration in our thoughts and affections towards him Fifthly and lastly If God hath given Use 5 Eccles 9. 8. Revel 3. 4. Matth. 5. 16. Vive ut vivas Live that thou mayest live Live in such sort saith Periander King of Corinth that thou mayest have honor by thy life and that after thy death men may account thee happy you Assurance then live holily live angelically keep your garments pure and white walk with an even foot be shining lights Your Happiness here is your Holiness and in Heaven your highest Happiness will be your perfect Holiness Holiness differs nothing from Happiness but in name Holiness is Happiness in the bud and Happiness is Holiness at the full Happiness is nothing but the quintessence of Holiness The more holy any man is the more the Lord loves him John 14. 21 23. Augustine doth excellently observe in his Tract on John the first and the 14. That God loved the humanity of Christ more then any man because he was Grace and Truth then any man The Philosopher could say That God was but an empty name without vertue so are all our professions without Holiness Holiness is the very marrow and quintessence of Ille non est bonus qui non vnlt esse melior The loose walking of many Christians was as Salvian complains made by the Pagans the reproach of Christ himself saying If Christ had taught holy doctrine surely his followers had led better lives all Religion Holiness is God stamped and printed upon the Soul it is Christ formed in the Heart it is our Light our Life our Beauty our Glory our Joy our Crown our Heaven our All. The holy Soul is happy in Life and blessed in Death and shall be transcendently glorious in the Morning of the Resurrection when Christ shall say Lo here am I and my holy Ones who are my Joy Lo here am I and my holy Ones who are my Crown and therefore upon the Heads of these holy Ones will I set an Immortal Crown Even so Amen Lord Jesus FINIS Imprimatur Joseph Caryl ERRATA PAge 7. Margent adde can be p. 37. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 41. Marg. r. opera p. 56. l. 4. adde a p. 60. l. 13. r. done p. 67. l. 5. adde a l. 11. r. preparations pag. 80. l. 28. r. let p. 103. Marg. r. crux p. 110. l. 12. r. cheared p. 113. l. 25. dele of p. 115. l. 3. adde the p. 117. l. 21. r. renewing p. 135. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ib. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 138. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 144. l 5. r. liveless p. 152. l. 22. r. foiling p. 159. r. infinite p. 162. l. 2. dele the p. 164. l. 2. adde that p. 184. l. 20. r. doubled p. 186. l. 18. dele a p. 230. l 4. r. spittle p. 258. l. 22. r. daring p. 275. Marg. r. affectibus p. 276. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 279. l. 28. r. means p. 304. l. 15. r. him p. 318. Marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 334 l. 11. r. coveting p. 344. Marg. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 363. Marg. r. mediatum p. 404. l. 21. add as p. 436. l. 5. r. if There is another Book lately published by Mr. Thomas Brooks entituled Pretious Remedies against Satans Devices or Salve for Believers and Unbelievers sores being a Companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ that slight or neglect Ordinances under a pretence of living above them that are growing in Spirituals or decaying that are tempted or deserted c. Sold by John Hancock at the entring into Popes-head Alley
hee will doe for you to all eternity and spend your dayes in whining and mourning if Psal 32. 1. Psal 33 11. The word noteth a faire and comely grace for which a thing is to bee liked and desired Ainsw you can Ps 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 33. 1. Rejoyce in the Lord O ye Righteous for praise is comely for the upright Christians are not your mercies greater then your miseries yes is your greatest sufferings comparable to the least spark of grace or beam of glory revealed in you or to you No wil not one Aeterna erit exultatio quâ— bono lâ—tatur aeterâ—o Their joy lasts for ever whose object remaines for ever houres being in the bosome of Christ recompence you for all your trouble and travell Yes Why then doe you spend more time in sighing then in rejoycing and why doe you by your not rejoycing sad those precious hearts that God would not have sadded and glad those graceless hearts that God would not have gladded A beautifull face is at all times pleasing to the eye but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance joy in the face puts a new beauty and makes that which before was beautifull to be exceeding beautifull it puts a luster and glory upon beauty so does joy in the face heart and life of a Christian cast a generall splendor and glory upon him and the wayes of God wherein hee walkes The joy of the Lord is not Nehem. 8. 10. only the strength but also the beauty and glory of Christians Joy and rejoycing is a consequent and effect of assurance as many beleevers by experience finde and therefore Mrs. Kath. Brettergh under the power of assurance cryes out O the joyes the joyes the unconceiveable joyes my heart is filled with without all peradventure beleevers may attaine unto a well-grounded assurance of their everlasting happiness else it is impossible that they should rejoyce evermore so that by this argument as by the former it clearly appeares that beleevers may in this life be assured of their eternal wel being The tenth and last Argument to prove that beleevers may in this life attaine to a well-grounded assurance is this That God would never have made such a broad difference in the Scripture between the seed of the Gen. 3. 15. Ezeck 18. Mat. 25. Mat. 3. 12. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Woman and the seed of the Serpent between the righteous and the wicked between Saints and sinners between Sons and Slaves Sheepe and Goats between Lions and Lambs between Wheat and Chaffe Light and Darkness c. if it were impossible for men to know which of these two estates they are in therefore they may know whether they are in a state of life or in a state of death in a state of misery or in a state of felicity in Mat. 13. a state of wrath or in a state of love O it is much below the grace of God! it is repugnant to the wisdome of God to make such a wide difference Joh. 8. 44. between his owne Children and Satans if it were not possible for every Childe to know his owne Father and his interest in him Jer. 3. 19. And Jer. 3. 19. The Saints Motto is Tam pius nemo tam pater nemo no Father is like our Father Rom. 8. 15. I said thou shalt call me my Father and shalt not turne away from me Here God ingages himselfe that his people shall know him account him and acknowledge him for their Father Thou shalt call me my Father Isa 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art my Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not thou O Lord art our Father and Redeemer thy name is from everlasting The weakest Saint can say Ioh. 14. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God hath no childe so young but can more or lesse call him Father Abba Father the Lord will not leave his Children comfortless or as Orphans and fatherless children as it is in the Greek though the salvation of beleevers doe not depend upon their knowledge of God to be their Father yet their consolation does Ier. 3. 4. We say he is a wise childe that knows his Father such wise ones beleevers are therefore the Lord wil not be only a Father to Israel but he wil make Israel know that he is his Father Jer. 3. 4. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me my Father thou art the guide of my youth By these ten Arguments it doth evidently appear that beleevers may in this life attain unto a well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse I shall apply this a little and then close up this Chapter Use This precious truth thus proved looks sourely and wishly upon all those that affirme that beleevers cannot in this life attaine unto a certaine well-grounded Assurance of their everlasting happinesse and blessednesse As Papists and Arminians all know that know their writings and teachings that they are in Armes against this Christ-exalting and soule-cheering Doctrine of Assurance I know no such thing as Assurance of Heaven in this life saith Greevinchovius the Arminian Assurance is a Pearle that Sensum electionis ad gloriam in hac vita nullam agnosco Greevinchov they trample under feet it is a beame of Heaven that hath so much light brightnesse shining glory in it that their bleer eyes cannot behold it Assurance is glory in the bud it is the Suburbs of Paradise it is a cluster of the land of Promise it is a sparke of God it is the joy and crowne of a Christian the greater is their impiety and folly that deny assurance that cry downe assurance under any names or notions whatsoever They are rather tormenters then comforters that say poore souls may know that there is a crowne of Righteousnesse but they must not presume to know that they shall have the honour to weare that Crowne * Is the surety of the New Covenant growne so poor Heb. 7. 22. 2. Is the promise now come to be yea and nay 2 Cor. 1. 20. 3 Is the power of God growne so weak 1 Pet. 1. 5. 4 Is the decreeing will of God become mutable 2 Tim. 2. 19. 5 Is the free eternal and everlasting love of God become changeable Jer. 31. 3. Joh. 13. 1. that these things can be Ezek. 13. 22. and that makes God like King Xerxes who crowned his Steersman in the morning and beheaded him in the evening of the same day Arminians are not ashamed to say that God may crowne a man one hour and uncrowne him the next they blush not to say that a man may bee happy and miserable under love and under wrath an heire of heaven and a firebrand of hell a childe of light and a childe of darknesse and all in an houre O what miserable comforters are these what