must serve the spirits designes in Law as wel as Gospel What would men have us do Shall we speak peace to those to whom the Spirit denounceth open war How shall we keep to our Commission if in stead of binding on earth those who are bound in heaven we let them loose and help them to escape preach doctrines of universall Redemption and Salvation and teach them how to apply generall Gospell truths to harden their souls in sin Mee thinks I hear the Lord when he gives a Minister his charge speak in the language of Jehu when he had shut up Baals worshippers in a guard If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape he that letteth him go his life shal be for the life of him 2 Kings 10. 24. Or rather in his own words to the Prophet Ezekiel 3. 18. When I say c. Yet I must tell you I would have the Law preached as it is in the hands of Christ i. e. not as casting men under an irrecoverable condemnation for every offence not as exacting rigorously every punctilio of a duty under pain of being rejected by God not as requiring obedience as a condition of a covenant of works to salvation Although it be necessary too that as a Covenant of works it should be declared to those that are under the Law that by the sight of it they may be made to fly to the Gospel as a Map discovers rocks and quicksands that men may avoid them and Physick books poisons to warn men of them By preaching it as in the hands of Christ I mean wee must withall open a door of hope shew them Christ as the end of the Law to whom all the preaching of the Law aymes For my part I meet with a dictinction often of the Law as in the hands of Moses and as in the hands of Christ I think as 't is ordinarily taken it is grounded on a principle of Socinianisme that the Spirit was not a spirit of Adoption under the old Testament But I can allow the expression in this sense Gospell must bee held forth more clearly now then it was then and believing more urged then doing and doing in a way of believing God giving them a yoke of observances which vailed the Spirit and looked much like a Covenant of works the Ministers of the Gospell are to take off that vail and shew Christs open face 3. Let this plead a little for poor troubled spirits to Ministers and friends that take paines to comfort them When we speak comfort to them and their souls refuse it as Heman Ps 77. 2. We are apt to censure them for peevish and perverse c. But friends is this reasonable to charge a prisoner with peevishnesse because he doth not shake off his bolts and come forth without the keepers leave I know sometimes there is much fault in such souls but the spirit works with their weaknesse to withhold comfort and though they be blameable for refusing it yet the spirit orders their weakenesses therein to his blessed ends Wherfore if you chide them for shutting the doors upon themselves do it so as withall to pray the Spirit to open them else they cannot open them if they would never so fain And those of us who were once in their condition were as untoward as they till Gods Spirit opened our eyes to see a well of consolation 4. Let this humble us all who have tasted any of the powers of the World to come and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost this way for our often grievings and vexings of the H. Spirit That we have stouted it out against the Spirits arrests and refused to bee his prisoners If this were wilfully done O how evill a thing was it how high a provocation If a warrant from Westminster in the hands of a Bayliffe will make a man stand and render himself prisoner How dares any man make an escape when the word arrests him by the authority and warrant of the Spirit Nay farther think what a sad case you were in should God resolve to strive no more with you Think on that terrible place Heb. 6. 4 5 6. If involuntarily this is very bad though not so bad as the Former When you look over the former convictions by the light of this Sermon Friends be humbled to think how often was the Lords Spirit in a sermon in the advice of friends in afflictions and we were not aware of it How often did hee lay his hand upon our shoulders and shew the Warrant of Scripture to arrest our souls and we fought with him and delivered our selves out of his hand Oh brethren when the Spirit seizeth on you again submit yeild your selves if his Arrests from time to time bee sleighted beware of a Writ of rebellion next See it Deut. 29. 19 20. The Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this Book shall lie upon him Then will you bee outlawes to the Covenant of life and salvation and God will raise all the posse of heaven and earth and hell too for your ruine and destruction Your fear shall come as desolation and destruction shall come upon you as a whirlwind you shall eat of the fruit of your own way and bee filled with your own devices The turning away of such fools shall slay them and their false peace and prosperity shall destroy them Proverb 27 31 32. CHAP. VIII The second Thesis explained First by discovering the nature of this Work of Bondage 2d Thesis or Proposition COme we now to the second Thesis to wit that the blessed Spirit of God in the ordinary way of working becomes a Spirit of bondage before he become a Spirit of Adoption to any soul I say in the ordinary way not because I think there are any extraordinary cases in which it workes otherwise in those of full age and perfect sense but that I may qualifie the expression to some ears who plead such experiences as may be exceptions from this Rule whose spirits I am very tender of and therefore am contended to prosecute this doctrine in such qualified expressions Although I believe ere we have travelled together through this Discourse and when we come to understand one another wee shall comemore neer together and agree upon more generall terms to cloth it in As also because I will not tye up Gods hands from working miracles in this way as well as in any other if he see a cause worth the putting forth of an omnipotent Arme. But before I prove it I must answer some Questions Q. 1. Wherein doth this first work of the Spirit upon the soul consist Q. 2 By what means doth the Spirit usually work it And this done I shall first enquire how it appeares the spirit so doth and secondly why he doth so Q. 1. Wherein doth it consist Ans 1. Generally this
their own vileness and a gracious boldness in the presence of the Lord. David never prayes more boldly then when he acknowledgeth his own unworthinesse 2 Chron. 29. And 't is remarkable how bold Abraham was and yet how much humility he manifested in one chapter Gen. 18. 27 30 32. 5. That the worthiness in which we are to expect acceptance from the Lord is not in our selves but in the Lord Jesus so that although in our selves we have cause to hang down our heads yet in him we may lift them up with confidence We cannot plead we are worthy but we may plead Father though we are not worthy yet he is worthy for whom thou shouldst do this Father thou canst not be just I confess to me if thou do not punish my sinnes but thou canst not be just to Christ if thou do not pardon them Thou art not just to me if thou do not reject my person and prayers but thou art not just to Christ if thou do not accept them 'T is no wonder the Priesthood of Christ is every 1 John 1. 9. Rom. 3. 25. 26. where made the ground upon which we are pressed to this boldnesse As in the places before quoted Heb. 4. 15 16. 10. 20 21 22. 2 Against the present unfitness and indisposedness of thy heart in prayer and the unsutablenesse upon that account of thy prayers to his greatnesse majesty and holinesse another hindrance fortifie thy self by considering 1. That although it be thy duty to strive against and grieve for and labour by all possible means to quicken thy selfe from that dead and dull frame of spirit yet thy Father knowes how to pity and pardon invincible distempers of spirit and defects in prayer especially when thou groanest under them Psal 103. 13. As the Father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him Now a Father will look upon the good will of a child that offers at the performance of a service to him beyond his strength and accept it with pity to and compassion upon his weaknesse God accepts in this case the will for the deed and according to what a man hath not according to what he hath not 2. That our boldnesse and confidence in prayer is injurious to Christ if we lay any of the weight or stresse of it upon our own performances Because our prayers were never intended for such means as procure acceptance by their own efficacy but mreely as means sanctified by God to conveigh to us what God gives upon the account of Christs purchase So that if I put any prevalency upon mine own prayers when never so excellent or make the imperfections of them a ground of distrust I wrong Christ 3. That Jesus Christ is an High-Priest consecrated by God for this very purpose to take away the iniquity of my holy things Exod. 28. 38. This was typified in Aarons plate of pure gold upon his forehead wherein was written Holinesse to the Lord which he alwayes wore before the Lord to signifie that he was to bear the iniquity of their holy things whose offerings he presented And thus Jesus Christ stands before the Lord with a plate of pure gold even the perfection of his owne righteousnesse and merits upon his forehead and in them is written Holinesse to the Lord upon the account whereof the Saints may bee assured of the acceptance of all their services as holy Compare this with Apoc. 8. 3 The Angel of the Covenant is there represented standing at the Altar with a golden censer and much incense a golden holy nature in which there was no sinne and much incense of merit which hee offers with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar of his divinity before the Throne 3 Against the guilt of sin another hinderance consider 1 Forgiven sinnes are no sinnes in the account of God Therefore saith God I will blot out your iniquities as a thick cloud Isai 44. 22. The cloud when it is scattered by the wind and Sun hinders no influences from the heaven upon the earth Neither doe the sinnes of Gods people hinder any entercourse between God and the soule when God is once reconciled unto them againe The Lord is said also to put away the sins of his people as far as the East is from the West Psal 103. 12. to cast them into the depths of the Sea Micah 7. 19. to blot them out so as to remember them no more Isai 43. 25. So that though sinne should be sought for yet there shall be none Jer. 50. 20. 2. That we have an Advocate to plead with God that hath satisfied for them and therefore can answer all objections in that behalfe 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. 3. The neglect of prayer under the guilt of sinne will harden the heart and alienate thee the more from God The longer a child keeps out of the fathers sight after a fault the more he dreads it 3 Study promises Those are the great charter of a Christian what God hath promised I may boldly aske O never be beaten from that plea. All thy present discouragements are but Satans tricks and querkes by which he endeavours to baffle thee out of thy pleas and claims to make thee urge promises faintly and doubtingly and if he can do that be gets an imcomparable advantage upon thee When I have an honest mans promise if he seem to act contrary thereunto I will never leave urging his promise till I have obtained what I desire come to God and say Lord I confess hadst thou not promised I should not have dared considering mine own unworthiness to have opened my mouth before thee but seeing I have a promise I will never hold my peace I will not be daunted out of my suit by any possible discouragements If thou canst not shake off thine own promises and merciful engagements I am resolved thou shalt not shake off me 4. Be frequent in thy converses and familiarity with him Acquaint thy self with God A man that is shy of asking of a friend at first sight growes more acquainted by use and custome of acquaintance 'T is Eliphaz his good counsel Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thy self with God i. e. by familiar converse and it followes Thou shalt lift up thy face to God ver â—6 This will make thee bold to come to God in prayer 5 Study God in Christ more and take heed how at any time thou viewest God out of him I have given you some light touches before of the improvement of Christs name in prayer for the attainment of spiritual boldnesse I shall here enlarge in some few things more which do not so properly relate to the particulars which occasioned those touches and so require a distinct consideration 1 Study God in his Engagements to Christ in thy behalf That he shall have the full power of all the Treasures of God whence any particular souls wants may be supplyed Treasures of Grace Isai 11. 2. and these for his people The
work is called conviction and because the Spirit convinceth in a rational way all its acts of that nature are comprized in this Syllogism Every one that is in a state of sinne is in a state of wrath But thou sinner art in a state of sinne Therefore thou art in a state of wrath In this master-syllogism there are many others included but they are all in effect comments on or proofs of the particular tearms and propositions of this Sometimes it varies thus Every unjustified person every unbeliever every one in a state of nature every unregenerate person and lower every swearer sabboth breaker c. living in and allowing himself in such sins c. is under the curse or is a condemned person or is in a state of damnation c. But thou A. B. art such a person ergo thou art a condemned person c. But to be more plain and particular This work includes these several and distinct convictions 1. Conviction of Law The Charge 2. Conviction of fact or case The Indictment Evidence 3. Conviction of state The Sentence As also 4ly The proper consequents of these 1. Conviction of Law is no more then the illumination of the understanding in the truth of common Principles and Rules of Scripture which determine in general the state and condition of such as fal under them such as these Eph. 2. 3. By Nature all are the children of wrath Rom. 5. 18. By the offence of one death came on all men Gal. 3. 10. As many as are under the Law are under the curse Jo. 3. 18. He that believeth not is condemned already Jo. 3. 3. Except a man be born again c. Gal. 3 10. Cursed be every one that continueth not in every thing c. Rom. 1. 31. Those that do such things are worthy of death Neither fornicators nor idolaters c. 1 Cor. 6. 9. These and the like common truths when we give a fixed and firm consent unto this makes up the first part of the Spirits conviction of bondage because it is the Spirit of God that leads us into all truth Jo. 16. 13. and so into convincing truth This is the major of the former syllogisme and may be planted in nature or believed barely by an historical belief and may not affect or if it doe 't is but in general except it be farther backt by 2. Conviction of Fact This makes up the minor of the former syllogisme And this is a particular application of the Law to the person As if he should say Thou art the man of whom this Law speaks This fact thou hast done Psal 70. 21. and this sin thou art guilty of livest in this omission of duty this or that notorious actual commission thou art clearly chargeable withal This indictment conscience is called in to witnesse and this witnesse because it is sometimes asleep and sometimes blind and sometimes dead and sometimes bribed the Spirit enlightens and quickens and disengageth and makes it speak out to the case in hand This is that prick in the heart that Peter by the home-application of their sin to their consciences gave those Converts Acts 2. 37. He tells them ye have taken and slain and crucified that Jesus who is Lord and Christ and their hearts by a confessing guilty application say we are the men This is a cord that will hold it will bring the soul under some acknowledgments which it would not grant before but it is not yet a Spirit of bondage till the third conviction of state And this is the conclusion of the former syllogisme and the sentence in the Spirits legal processes against any soul And this results from the two former This is the work of the Judge the enlightened conscience in its judicial capacity This is attended with a large formality of circumstances As in every sentence the matter and manner of the suffering is expressed as to return to jayl and be carryed thence to the place of execution and there to be hanged or pressed or burnt or drawn and quartered c. So here the Spirit doth not barely say to the soul thou art a condemned creature but he enlightens the mind to understand in the most frightful appearances the nature of its misery He represents a curse hunting and power seizing and wrath rending a poor soul shews hell open and heaven shut the Devil tormenting and God deriding eternal life in eternal death without light tormenting heat yet gnashing of the teeth for cold a lake of fire and brimstone nay a running stream which the breath of the Lord for ever kindles Isay 30. 33. And assures the soul all this and inexpressibly more will be his portion to eternity if he continue on this side Christ the City of refuge 4. The consequents of all these must needs be 1. Soul-confounding horror This was the Jaylors case Acts 16. 29. He came in trembling to Paul and Silas This sentence works like the hand-writing upon Belshazar looseth the joynts of the loines and makes the knees smite against each other Dan. 5. 6. Or Habbakuks voice c. 3. 16. it makes the belly tremble and the lips to quiver and rottennesse enter into the bones c. And no wonder for it is the justice and wrath of an infinite eternal and Almighty God that he hath to encounter and can thy heart endure or thine hands be strong in the days that God shall deal with thee Ezek. 22. 14. This was it that made Christ himself sweat like drops of bloud Luke 22. 44. 2. Soul-distressing anguish By which the mind vexeth and feeds upon its own sad condition thus bound fast by horrour It is perpetually vexed with the representations of its misery it can take no comfort in the World that is not hereby imbittered As a condemned man eats and drinks and sleeps not for thinking upon the execution or if he do he finds no relish in those contents if he sleepe he can nothing but dream of the Gallowes and the hangman if he talk and converse with friends he is scarce present where he is scarce thinks what he saith Thus a soul under this binding sentence with David eats ashes like bread or rather bread like ashes mingles his drink with weeping Ps 102. 9. his life abhors bread and his soul dainty meat tasts no sweetnesse in any comforts they are all as Job saith like the white of an egge Job 6. 6. His words are swallowed up Job 6. 2. He sleeps it may be but he is scared with visions and terrified with dreams Job 7. 14. Speak to the man in this case of any diversions and you do but labour to dig a channel to let out the sea present him any of his formerly welcomest refreshments Prov. 26. 1. you are but like snow in summer and rain in harvest speak the most encouraging words to him that may be if you cannot speak a pardon he is in the case of the Israelites in
Some beleevers are and all believers may be assured of tâ—eir Salvation in this life well proved sufficiently confutes the Papists erroneous Thesis that no believer can be assured And I fear the maintaining the universall necessity of actual assurance to Salvation will trouble more tender Protestants then it ever confuted Papists But to returne where I left I say to thee that propoundest the Question Thou needest not fear exclusion from heaven for want of that which Scripture requires not as necessary to Salvation I must tell thee that I verily believe if any of Gods Saints dye without some glimpse or other of Gods love it is a rare case and I perswade my selfe God seldome takes a Saint of his away in such a sort except such an one as hath so shamefully fallen that it concernes God in point of honour if he save him to let no body know of it Yet I dare not barre the door of heaven against such an one as living holily dyes comfortlesse 3. Labour to accept of claim and rely upon the Lord Jesus for Salvation on the termes of the Gospel 'T is impossible a soul should go to Hell that can cling fast to any promise truly apprehended according to the intention of the Gospel There are three or four promises I perswade my selfe the reliance whereon hath ferried many humble souls to heaven who have been afraid to say in all their lives I know that I am a child of God those are Mat. 11. 28. Jo. 6. 37. Isai 55. 1 2. Apoc. 22. 17. 4. Lastly If thou think this will not serve the turne in such a case I think such a thought may condemn the generation of the Righteous Are there not some in the fruits of whose holy conversation both publick and private we see abundant cause to pronounce them by a judgement of charity children of God would be by this judgment condemned to Hell concerning whom it cannot be affirmed either in their own knowledge or the knowledge of others that ever they received this witnesse in their spirits to the last moment of their lives And truly for my part I humbly conceive this assuring Testimony of the spirit to be part of our reward as the Apostle calls the Spirit the earnest of our inheritance Eph. 1. 14. and therefore God may choose whethe he will give any part of it here or no as he sees most suting his glory and our good 'T is for his glory sometimes that his people are in Jobs case Job 13. 15. CHAP. XX. The second Thesis cleared by Scriptures and Reasons A Case from the first branch of the reason Whether a man may be assured of his sonship à priori from the first Acts of Faith and Repentance in conversion COme we now to the second Thesis or proposition which is The witnesse of the Spirit of Adoption is a certain evidence of a state of Adoption This ariseth from the connexion of this verse with the former In the former the Romans are told by the Apostle that as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sonnes of God this he confirms in my Text and the verse following For saith he they that are led by the spirit have ordinarily the witnesse of the Spirit who never witnesseth to a falshood witnessing with their own spirits and upon that testimony enabling them to call God Father So much for the ground of the proposition It amounts to no more then this That man may be certainly assured that he is a child of God to whom the spirit testifies that he is so I shall not need be long in the proof of this point but onely lead you into the consideration of some particulars not so much for evidence of this truth although they will also make it out abundantly unto us as for the clearer opening to you some points by the way which will yield some special use or other that will not so orderly fall in any where else The proofe is partly Scripture and partly Argument 1. Scripture The Spirits Testimony both concerning sinne righteonsnesse and judgement is a convincing Testimony John 16. 8 9. 10 11. that is such a Testimony as will not suffer any scruple to remain but as soon as any appears it presently falls before the light of its evidence There are also two expressions Eph. 1. 13 14. very full to this purpose The Spirit seals the Saints puts a mark upon them by which he knowes them and gives them ground enough to know themselves to be the Children of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritu ilso qui non adfert legis servitut is terrorem sed promissionem gratuitae adoption is obsignat in credentiu animis Est autem hoc loco triplicatus Articulus diligenter observandus Beza in locum And to this purpose it followes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is the earnest of our inheritance So that it is clear it is not meerly a privy sâ—al known to the Spirit alone as that 2 Tim. 2. 19. but a publick seal by which the party himselfe as well as others may and ought discerne him to be an heire and such an one as may sue for his inheritance as a debt For an earnest is nothing if it be not a security to the receiver the principall intent of an earnest is to assure the party to whom it is given of the full payment The meere giving of grace although it be materially an earnest from God of eternal happinesse yet is not a formal evidence to me till it work certainty in me because I can no farther plead it then I can adventure my estate upon it To this purpose and in the same expressions the Apostle also speaks to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 1. 21 22. where you may also take notice of one clause that confirms the exposition before-given of Eph. 1. 13 14. and that is this v. 21. He tells them that the confirmation of al the promises both as preached by Ministers and received by hearers dependeth upon the merit of Christ He stablisheth us in Christ i. e. by uniting us to him by the communication of the Spirit in and through them from the Father Now from the Spirit the Apostle drawes two Arguments to assure them the first is its renewing work and that is the matter of our regular assurance as I told you formerly in the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who hath annointed us Now although there be an annointing with gladnesse as well as grace yet the annointing with grace is here meant because it is distingnished from that annointing by an also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. v. 22. who also hath sealed us and given the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts This is the second argument it s witnessing work which is on Gods part a sufficient assurance and the reception of it renders it so also on our part So then the witnesse of the Spirit is the seal and earnest that confirmes all the promises to us they
10. 37. Suppose I could say to thee by a certain Revelation from heaven The next moment O sad soul the Lord will smile upon thee and sorrow and sighing shall fly away How would this affect thee Would not this make a sudden alteration in thee Would not faith joy and love and thankfulnesse strive which sould break out first surely they would But if thou werst quite dead this would not affect thee A natural man takes no pleasure in the approaches of God he had rather have him farther off They say to God depart from us Job 21. 14. If the Sun be never so near the earth yet the dead tree is not sensible of its influence it causeth no alteration therein no leaves no buds no fruits testifie its approach Object But may not a wicked man delight in the approaches of Gods comforting and refreshing presence especially under troubles of conscience although there be no spiritual life in him at all Ans He may delight in the removal of his present terrors by application of comfort But 't is not God in comfort that he looks after Let him have comfort or peace any way he is wel pleased whether God draw nigh to him or no. If the Divel will conjure down his troubles if the world will choak them if musick will fiddle them away if the cup will drown them it is all one to him shall I say nay it is more then if God spake them away But a living soul sayes If God will not let me out of this pit this dungeon I will never go out it is lesse to me to be free then to be freed by him that he is the Authour of my liberty endears it to me To enjoy a quiet conscience and not enjoy God in that quiet of conscience is a worse hell to me then my former terrors Lord restore my fetters and chains te me give me my horriâ—lâ— pit my mire and clay my watered bed my broken bones my distracted spirit again I had rather chuse them all then not receive my liberty from thy single hand Any chains are easie if they bee compared with a godless liberty 2 But grant that a wicked man may possibly desire the comforting presence of God too yet he cannot delight in the approaches of Gods sanctifying presence Friend could I tell thee that God is approaching to thee as a Refiners fire to purge out all thy drosse and take away all thy tin Isai 1. 25. that the comfortable presence of God will be the death of thy dearest lusts Surely thou wouldst say Yea Sir let him come and welcome 'T is a day I have prayed for longed for wept for waited for O I will not accept of the Monarchy of the whole world for my share in this tydings I would not take heaven upon terms of reconciliation with my lusts Is it thus with thee My life for thine thou art not dead CHAP. XLIII A Case Whether instead of growing a real Saint may not decay in the actings of some graces and yet either the universal habit of the new Creature or the same very graces grow more habitually strong in him Obj. BUt I was once more quick and lively then I am now and therefore I find sensible decayes of what good I once thought I had Now true grace where ever it is will be ever growing The path of the Just is like the morning light which shineth more and more until perfect day Prov. 4. 18. Ans I shall satisfie this Doubt by answering two Questions Quest 1. Whether a Saint may not decay in stead of growing in the actings of some grace which appeared more visibly in him before whiles yet he growes in the habit Quest 2. How a man may know that he growes in grace when he is under such sensible decayes Answ To the first I answer 1 The graces of Gods Saints in the actings and operations of them are not alwayes alike high So wee see in the holy men of God throughout the whole current of the Word The faith of Abraham how high was it upon the Mount when he would have Sacrificed his Son but how low Gen. 22. 1. c. Heb. 11. 17. 1 Sam. 20. 2 when he cowardly denies his wife David one while dares fight with a Goliah and another throwes his Gauntlet and challenges a whole Army another while he quakes and 1 Sam. 16. Psal 27. 3 trembles through distrust and cryes out I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul One while 1 Sam. 27. 1. Peter is so valiant that he drawes a sword in Christs defence and that against a whole Band of men and follows him into the High Priests Hall a little after a silly maid dasheth his faith out of countenance 1 The truth is the continued high actings of some graces are not fit for a mortal condition and those that wish them such Job 4. 19. are unmindful that they dwel in Tabernacles of clay and that their foundation is laid in the dust Such is holy joy which if kept up perpetually to the height of ecstasie must needs over-spread the spirits and dissolve nature 2 Some Graces are of a mighty uniting nature and bind the soul to the Object so that it can mind nothing else during their impressions Such are faith and love Now God hath other graces to be acted and works to be done by us wherein we may glorifie him and therefore allowes them their time also Nay a godly man is described by this that he is a tree that brings forth fruit in the season proper to it Ps 1. 4. 3. All the graces of Gods Saints are now and then assaulted with stronger temptations and powerfuller corruptions then at other times And grace that will act high when 't is free from opposition or under slender opposition will not act so under greater That strength that will bear a hundred weight will appear little or none at all when it comes to lift a thousand 4. It may bee thy condition is altered and thy grace is yet unacquainted with the way of managing a new condition As an able scholar put out of his way of study may be out-gone by a meaner because those studies to which he is disused must needes bee entertained strangely and 't will be some time ere he can get their familiar acquaintance Here the fault is not in the abilities of the man but in the newnesse of the imployment so in point of grace a very gracious man and one who in some conditions and imployments is excellent in others is to seeke not for a toole to work with but for skil to manage it As a tradesman when hee changeth his trade loseth not his skil of dealing in the world but is unacquainted with the mysterie of putting it forth to present service 5. Many times God suffers decayes and not only so but inflicts them as chastisements upon his dearest people that hee may make them 1. Humble So hee useth sicknesses of
2 Cor. 1. 9. upon the pronouncing whereof the Law lays heavy fetters and chaines of darkenesse upon the soul that keep it shut up to the hope that afterwards by the Gospel is revealed 3. The proper impressions of this condition must needs be fearfull And thence is this Spirit said to be the Author of bondage to fear And is therefore called the Spirit of fear 2 Tim. 1. 7. This is that fear which the Author to the Hebrews 2. 15. tells us that men may be all their lives long enslaved unto til Christ deliver them A fear of Death i. e. of eternal death the wages of sinne A fear that gives a convinced sinner a tast of hell here it is the very anguish and smart of the arrows of God sticking fast in Job 6. 4. a mans spirit the very wales and furrowes which when the back of conscience is plowed up with the knotted whips of its own guilt do fester and stinke and corrupt as David Psal 38 5 expresseth it that is make the spirit of a man a burthen to it selfe and that intolerable This is the condition which the Apostle expresseth and I am to handle under the notion of the Spirit of bondage i. e. That Work of Gods Spirit whereby he convinceth and terrifieth sinners in order to conversion 4. And when he doth so in the fourth place we are said to receive him that is to be through free grace the patient and submissive subjects of this influence of his bearing the indignation of the Lord because we have sined Lam. 3. 29 against him and laying our mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope until God shall command deliverance for us and pull us out of the horrible pit and out of the deep mire and clay and break those chains of hell and snares of death wherein we are fettered and bring us forth into a large place 5. The Subjects of this Work of the Spirit the Apostle expresseth under the pronoun Ye including the generality of believers among the Romans and in them the generality of beleevers among all Nations in all times these works being of a common nature to all the people of God there being nothing in any one Saint which renders him a more incapable subject of this work then in another and nothing in the Word elsewhere to priviledge one above another herein 6. And lastly the time of the Saints being under this work the Apostle plainly expresseth not to be then when by faith they could call God Father the influence of the Spirit of Adoption enabling them so to do delivered them out of that fearful condition whence it follows that the experience they had of this work was before their Adoption and relation to God thereby as before I have declared And so much shall suffice for this first Chapter the clearing of our Subject And this done wee will proceed to the handling of it in the following Chapters CHAP. II. Wherein the first grand Thesis or Proposition concerning this state of Bondage is explained I Shall begin with this state as a work of the Spirit of God laying this Thesis or proposition for a foundation of our following discourse That those convictions shakings and terrours The first Proposition or Thesis of conscience under which unregenerate sinners suffer bondage when the Law chargeth them home with the guilt of sinne and apprehensions of wrath are ordinarily the works of Gods blessed Spirit I say ordinarily because sometimes Satan brings or at least keeps souls and those the souls of Gods Elect too under this bondage He promiseth liberty when he tempts to sinne but brings into bondage when he accuseth for sinne And therefore we must make a distinction between the bondage which the holy Spirit and the bondage which the wicked spirit brings into or keeps under First therefore There is a bondage which admits and is mitigated by the conjunction of hope of liberty and works towards a deliverance and there is a bondage that excludes all hope and possibility in the apprehension of a sinner of ever being removed A bondage in which the chains with which the conscience is held and fettered are of the same nature with the Devils bonds of death chains of darknesse and despaire Now such as these the holy Spirit knits not except the despair be partial and bear relation only to humane helps and means of escape and such a despair is in every soul that makes out after Christ those that we speak of now Satan lays on the conscience these must needs call him Father because they are black dismal apprehensions like him Such he wrought in Kain and Judas that made the former desperately blaspheme the mercy of God the other deâ—perately to lay violent hands on himselfe and to those despairing terrours is a soul given up when justly excommunicated and therefore is said to be delivered 1 Cor. 5. 5. to Satan for that censure binding sinne upon a man and God having promised to ratifie that sentence in Heaven the Devill the tormentor is at hand to load such a soul with Matth. 16. 19. terrors enough if he do not contemptuously go on adding sin to sin but be any way sensible of it he endeavors to drive him to despair whence the Church is bidden upon this knowledge of Satans devices to comfort such a man and confirm comfort to him by absolution lest he be swallowed up of sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. 8. 11. These satanical terrours have sin in them and therâ—fore as such can no way be the effects of the Spirit of God Indeed the Spirit of God may cause them inchoativè by discovering to a man his sinne and misery but the improvement of these discoveries in such a measure and to such an issue is the work of Satan who in this as in things of other nature can counterfeit the very Spirit of God and so perswade a poor soul that 't is his duty to refuse comfort and despair of Salvation 2. I say these terrours when they are wrought by the Spirit of God are in unconverted sinners which makes a farther distinction between the worke of the Spirit of God and the spirit of Satan herein the Devil makes it most of his businesse to trouble converts As for unconverted wretches that are his fast enough he seldome disturbes them as a Souldier will not disturbe his own Quarters but his enemies a Magistrate will not if he be well advised harrasle his own dominions But the Spirit of God speakes terrour to the Consciences of unregenerate sinners to whom it belongs when he speaks Law he speaks to them that are under the Law Rom. 3. 19. 3. But therin is a difference also If the Spirit of God lay the conscience under terrours it is for conversion they are not penal only but medicinal also they are one sort of Gods â—ods by which he brings men within the bonds of the Covenant Ezek 20
those horrid temptations and gratifying Satan by self destruction If he would have given thee over to Satan why not sooner If he hath preserved thee hitherto why may he not longer Whiles thou livest there is hope He that is above ground is insight of heaven See and acknowledge the gracious conduct even of the holy Spirit hitherto and do not by too long and wilful adventuring to parle with the enemy of thy soul drive him from thee CHAP. V. Wherein are several Cautions emerging from the premises NOr will this truth yield us lesse matter of Caution In these particulars 1. Take heed how you carry your selves towards the Spirit of God you hardened sinners When the Spirit wooes you with Gospel language draws with cords of love presenting you with the incomparable loveliness of him for whom he sollicites the beauty of his person the vastness of his power the riches of his inheritance the unfainednesse of his love and beseecheth you for Christs sake to be reconciled to God Friends do not grieve vex resist quench the spirit of Grace Let me tell you if cords of love will not draw you he hath chains of wrath to hamper you in if you will follow other lovers Hos 2. 6. he hath hedges of thorns to hâ—dg up your way withal if he can not draw you by the love of Christ to love him again he can take another course with you to make you love him for your own need Remember friends he that now offers upon easie tearms to become a Spirit of Adoption to you if you receive him can and will be a Spirit of Bondage to you if you refuse him If he let loose the Law upon you he can in a moment damp all your comforts if he shoot terrours into your spirits all the World cannot ease you if he command the least sinne to seize upon your consciences he can make a cloud of an hands bredth to cover the whole heaven of all your comforts if he lay but the little finger of one curse or threatening upon your backs he can make it heavier then the loyns of all the griefs troubles that you ever underwent in all your lives if he command horrors of spirit to rack you they will quickly break your bones and drink up your spirits and make your eyes old with weeping and your Psal 51. 8. Isa 38. 13. Psal 6. Psal 31. Psal 38. 77. Psal 4. couches swim with your tears and your hearts pant and your strength fail and your wounds stink he can quickly fill your loins with a loathsome disease he can keep your eyes waking distract you with his terrours and turn your moisture into the drought of summer and make Psalm 88. 15. Isay 38. 15. you go softly in the bitternesse of your soul And if all this will not do he can deliver you over to Satan at last to give you a taste of hell here and translate you from that to a worse hereafter 2. Take heed you carnal wretches do not miscal the Spirit of Bondage Men too often look upon troubles of spirit as bare effects of a melancholy distemper more proper for the Physician to deal withal then the Divine and are too apt to impute that to the infirmity of body which is indeed the immediate hand of God upon the soul Ignorant people because they are unacquainted with the dealings of God in this kind often blaspheme the work of the Spirit of Grace and call it downright madness and reproach such preachers as God makes use of to wound the conscience as those that make men mad True the body and soul are such near friends as there can be no trouble in the one but the other sympathizeth and so distemper of body may possibly heighten a souls trouble yea and possibly occasion it Yet must we take heed how we darken the work of the Spirit by too much looking at that in such troubles A discerning Minister or Christian observing the ground and occasions of the trouble the coherency or incoherency of discourse the evenesse or unevennesse of carriage and the like symptomes need not to be much mistaken in judging the case of a person in the first particular Oh friends take heed what you do look with reverence and fear upon such dealings of God towards your friends and acquaintance rather do what Job calls for from his friends Take pitty upon them for the hand of the Lord hath smitten them Job 19. 21. Remember 't was old Elies uncharitable censure to take Hannah for a drunken woman when she was a woman of a sorrowful spirit 1. Sam. 1. 14 Take heed of persecuting him whom the Lord hath smitten and talking to the grief of him whom he hath wounded Psal 69. 26 3. Take heed of judging the condition of those whom the spirit hath thus brought under bondage Indeed their wounds are grievous and appear incurable yet consider he that lanced them so deep is a wise and skilful and tender and experienced Chirurgeon Take heed how you think them the greatest sinners whom he lays most fetters upon It is the Lord whose prisoners they are and he may have gracious ends of Acts. 16. 24. that severity He may lay a Paul and Silas in the inner prison and put their feet into the stocks that he may the more exalt himselfe in their delivery he may hurt the feet of his Josephs with fetters and their souls may come into irons as the original reads Ps 105. 18. and all this to exalt them and comfort others 4. Take heed how you attempt to break loose you who are in the Spirits fetters Herein 2 Cor. 1. 6 we too often offend more ways then one 1. There is nothing more usual then to endeavour to obliterate those impressions of the holy spirit by civil and sometimes by uncivil diversions 't is no smal evil when we will as Felix did Pauls Sermons of righteousnesse and temperance and the judgment to come Acts 24. 25. put off the Spirits motions till a more convenient time Men are loath as the Devils Mat. 8. 29. to be tormented before their time and therefore are willing to make any shift for the present to cast those truths out of their minds which may disturbe the quiet of their consciences such serious truths must be dismist till a serious time in sicknesse on the death bed they will send for them again when the Physician can do no more then they will admit the Divine It seems too contrary to nature and too grievous to flesh and bloud to suffer a scrupulous inquiry after the things of eternity which they think they shall not have to doe with for many years to deprive them of carnal contents in that age which is only capable of enjoying them And therefore if conscience be clamorous and serious questions intrude company and imployment must be made use of to plead an excuse for our laying them aside youthfull pleasures must bee admitted to rarify the
his discourse with the holywater of a few religious phrases this man without any sight or sense of his sinnes without any sorrow for them first gives himself the name of Saint and then is angry if any ever after deny it him O sirs 't is well if Christ will own you for such at the last day Hee will not Judge you then according to your assumed Titles but he will know how you came by them Believe it sirs the passage from death to life is a rocky and a stormy passage to the most that enter into it And you must give me leave to aske many of you seriously as they did our Saviour when they saw him on the other side of the lake of Tiberias contrary to their expection Sirs when came you hither You pretend to Saintship but when or how came you by it You think you are passed from death to life but when and how got you so quick a passage For my part I cannot believe that you were transported by miracle as 't is said Christ and the Disciples were immediately at the land whether they went If you were converted in an extraordinary way though not miraculous I expect eminent fruits of holinesse from such a change For God will not do extraordinary works but they shall quit his cost But when I see all that is extraordinary in such persons for the most part is pride covetousnesse injustice oppression censoriousnesse scorne and contempt of Ministers and ordinances fearfull and horrible blasphemies heresies O Sirs shall I tell you what I think of your extraordinary conversion Truly friends I fear t wil prove your extraordinary condemnation for Atrociùs sub nominis sancti professione peccat saith Salvian and the Hell of Hypocrites shall be the standard to that of all other sinners saith our Saviour Mat. 24. 51. If your conversion were in the ordinary way that is the way which I have before described by its several stages Try then hath the Spirit ever convinced thee of the holinesse perfection equity of the Law of God and thereby of thine own filthinesse imperfection unrighteousnesse of thine own wretched cursed damnable condition under it didst thou ever fear and tremble quake and quiver at the thoughts of the wrath and vengeance of a just and righteous Infinite Almighty and Eternâ—l God Didst thou ever break a nights sleepe or loath thy ordinary food or disrelish thy beloved pleasures out of the perplexity and anguish of thy spirit wa st thou ever at such a desperate losse in thy selfe as to make it thy main enquiry what thou shouldst do to be saved such a losse as thou sawest no way out of it but onely by an infinite unspeakable unconceivable mercy such a loss that thou accountedst it even a miracle of goodnesse if ever thou escapedst out of that condition that thou judgedst all that thou couldest do towards thine own recovery though thou couldst weep an Ocean of tears fast longer then Moses or our Saviour Christ himself and pray more devoutly and fervently then all the Saints on earth hear Sermons endited by a general assembly of all the Angells in heâ—ven so short of righteousness that not any or all of them could â—eâ—ieve thee or bring thee one step neâ—…er happinesse such a losse that thou sawest an absolute necessity of obtaining Jesus Christ and his righteousnesse whatever it cost thee to seek him at Gods hands importunately so as to be put off with nothing else so as to be contented to be denyed all other things but him onely so as to be willing to part with all thy lusts and all thy pleasures and all thy profits and all thy honors to be moulded perfectly into the image of the second Adam to entertain love delight in and professe holinesse though accompanied with poverty disgrace displeasure of friends hatred and persecution of enemies prisons racks exile death it self And Lastly after all this hast thou in an holy selfe condemnation and an humble acknowledgment of thy own deserts and Gods justice acquitted God though notwithstanding all this he should turn his back upon thee and shut his ear to the voice of thy roaring Couldst thou lay thy mouth in the dust impute thy destruction to thy selfe and charg the sole cause and occasion of thy ruine upon thy own sins and in that consideration sit down under thy present condition and say Let the Lord do with me as seemeth him good If he will damme me for ever t is my desert if he save me 't is his meere mercy if I goe to hell I will cary this acknowledgment thither in my mouth Lord thou art righteous when thou judgest and just when thou condemnest If I dye I must thank my selfe if I live I must thank thee and thee onely And in these sad and dolorous thoughts and workings of heart when thou hast been in thy own apprehensions in the very belly of Hell hast thou received a beam of light through a chink of a door of hope so that in this sinking condition thou hast espied a plank to keep thee above the waves a twig to lay hold on to preserve thee from drowning whereupon thou hast by a secret power from the Spirit been enabled to fasten some free promise which although thou canst not call thine yet thou art told it may bee thine and thine or not thou wast resolved to lay hold on it and if in so doing God should cut off one of thy hands thou wast resolved to lay hold on it as the Captain in the Historian on the ship with the other and when thou couldst hold no longer with that thou wast resolved to drown looking towards his holy Temple and in these acts of holy reliance hast thou received a whisper Jonah 2. 4. from Gods Spirit Well then seeing thou wilt take no denyal no repulse be it unto Mat. 9. 29. thee according to thy faith if thou wilt needs have Christ take him and Salvation with him Be of good cheer thy sinnes are forgiven thee Christ is thy peace and I am thy salvation Mat. 9. 2. Ephes 2. 14. Psal 35. 3. Hast thou felt these works more or lesse If thou hast not friend I doubt thou setst up a profession of Saint-ship without the Spirits leave I would advise all of you that are in this case to begin again draw your indentures a new intreat the Spirit to admit you into his house of bondage that the son may make you free indeed in his own time and way O be not ashamed to unravel all that clew of ungrounded confidence which thou hast deluded thy selfe by all this while and begin upon a new bottome A mistake here is recoverable hereafter 't is for ever irremediable O think how much better 't is to take the shame of an error upon thy selfe here whiles â—t may do thee good then to be shamed hereafter before God Angels and men to thine eternal destruction and confusion in hell fire I find it
Tim. 1. 6. 6. 20. 2 Tim. 2. 16. As knowing their inconsistency with Christian seriousnesse 3. By timorous despondency and cowardize of spirit Thus many a soul that hath begun well in this way hath met with a serious conviction in a Sermon and been contented to follow it upon hope its work would soon be over and thereupon hath set upon a serious search of his ways and prayed and confessed and mourned for sinne and for all this can see no progresse at all that he makes either in holinesse or peace multitudes of lusts strive still and it may be he now feels them stirring more then ever before as a waking man feels every flea that bites him but a sleeping man though he have many about him yet feels them not and multitudes of temptations assault him which he could not foresee And now saith he I perceive I am entering into a melancholy profession and I see no end of it and thus 't will be with me so long as I hearken to conscience and suffer every sinne to trouble me thus I expected peace and comfort in this way but I see now there is no hopes of it whiles I am so nice and scrupulous and therefore I will give my selfe scope and elbowroome and not lose my present contents which I can enjoy at my pleasure to wait for others which I despair of ever being able to attain And then he concludes desperately thus I have ceased from my wicked ways and prayed and sought the face of God and waited upon Sermons c. yet can I get no peace no answer of satisfaction to my soul God stops his ears to the voice of my roaring and I am out of all hopes of ever attaining a sound peace in my conscience heaven is everlastingly shut and hell open to my soul wherefore it is the best way in mine eys to give my heart content whiles I may and to take the present time and drive away these melancholy thoughts with sanguine refreshments and recreating pleasures to eat and drink seeing to morrow I must dye Thus the Devil that was cast out in the heat of first conviction returns again this way and not only stops conversion at present but barrs the heart ever after against all scruples tending that way Such a thought as this had like to have undone Israel in the desert Exod. 16. vers 3. 4. By a secret hanging and bankering of heart after some sinne under soul troubles and the Spirit of bondage A man may be angry with one sinne and grievously tormented with the guilt of it whiles he carries a more favourable respect to another As a father that hath many children that he is displeased withal may fall out with one that hath offended him grievously and wish he had never begotten him and yet loves secretly another child who hath not so grievously offended him and then it falls out that the child that there is not so much spleen against recovers his favour and makes way thereby for the reducing of his affections to his brother that lies under more heavie displeasure Or rather as a politique Prince that being vexed with the clamours of the people will sacrifice some favourites to save the rest One sinne may undo such a man as Ananias Acts 5. Magus Acts 8. Sometimes he loves that sin still which he is fallen out with and wisheth he had never had to do with and exclaims against it and against himselfe for entertaining it and that by degrees wins his favour again as a rogue and an whore sometimes fall out so grievously that they call one another all the fowlest names that can be and utter all bitter expressions possible against each other yea wish heartily they had never seen the faces of each other and yet within a few hours can be reconciled again and be as great together as ever they were So Pharaoh when he promised Moses fairest under the rod yet still kept in his heart a desire and resolution to keepe Israel in bondage So the Elders of Israel that enquired diligently in appearance after the Lord yet set up their Idols in their heart still Ezek. 14. 3. This a man may do and yet at present not discern it He may by consequence though not directly will the same sin he is troubled for i. e. Whiles he wils the temptations to it or wisheth he were free to it and could get leave of his conscience to live in it securely and without disturbance perhaps he may have trouble for covetousnesse and unlawful gains and he seems very much bent against it yet perhaps he hath some gainful way which he hath before perswaded his conscience to allow him suppose that of moderate Vsury or the like which he allowes himself in that brings all back againe 5. By secret hypocrisie of heart which hinders a man from discovering the bottom of his Wound There is this natural evil in the heart of most men though they be as vile as any yet they are loath to own their evils at least with all their aggravations indeed they are vile creatures but yet they are not so bad as people think them they have done evil indeed but they were drawn in by others they had a good end in what they did they have not made a trade of it c. Such hypocritical concealments as these must needs hinder the deepness of conviction in themselves and occasion a mis-application of the remedy by those who are the ordinary Physicians of souls in such cases As if a Patient deal deceitfully with a Physician and discover not the bottom and root of his Disease as far as he can no wonder if he miscarry seeing the Physicians medicines are intended to meet with no distemper but that which is discovered and so far only as it is so Besides 't is possible in some soul-troubles the hypocrisie may be more grosse in more notorious sinners who intend to make no other use of it then barely to right themselves by a forged repentance and contrition in the eyes of those whom they have scandalized These both appear notoriously in the case of Saul when Samuel had charged home upon him his disobedience in sparing Agag first he playes the hypocrite more secretly in excusing the sin I have sinned saith he in transgressing the Commandment of the Lord but I feared the people And when that cover will not do the deed then he confesseth it more largely that he had sinned he was convinced of it his excuse would not hold water But why did Saul confesse so much See 1 Sam. 15. 30. Yet honour me saith he before the â—…ers of my people and before Israel if he should not have come off freely in his acknowledgment Samuel would not have been gained to have owned him before the people He playes the hypocrite more notoriously in his confession then he did before in his excuses Thence sound converts so often complaine of a fear of hypocrisie even in their complainings 6
place he bestowes upon us the right of Adoption as the most properworker of this union And as our Faith is the instrument of union so hee is the giver of faith 1 Cor. 12. 9. Faith indeed Divines ordinarily call an Instrument but 't is but an improper instrument for as all its efficacy depends upon the relation which it hath to Christ as an hand is the instrument to make rich when it receives a treasure or layes hold on it when freely offered so it doth nothing at all on Gods part But the Spirit is in a sense a proper instrument on both parts applying both Christ to us and us to Christ Christ to us by reaching us a promise to lay hold on and us to Christ by giving us an hand to lay hold on it and rest our souls upon it 2. Hee is the witnesse of our Relation And this work is principally set out to us in the verse preceding that which is the ground of our discourse The Spirit also witnesseth Rom. 8. 14. with our spirits that we are the Children of God Concerning the manner of the Spirits testifying I shall say somewhat hereafter onely take notice now that he is said to witnesse with our spirits i. e. to say the same thing with our consciences rightly informed of their condition Thus he is a seal and an earnest not to confirm on Gods part but to assure our legal title on our part Eph. 1. 13. 2 Cor. 1. 22. In the discharge of this work he is the comforter who takes of Christs and shews unto John 6. 14. his people i. e. not only saving truth in illumination and saving grace in regeneration and justification but also speciall light and comfort in manifestation of our interest in God through Christ he takes the Deed by which Christ is made the adopted head of his family and all the territories of heaven and earth are given to him and his seed for ever and shews it to the Saints and bids them cheer up for though they be now poor and persecuted wandring in sheep-skins and goat skins hiding among wild beasts in dens and holes of the earth yet they are heirs to all that heaven and earth contains and the time will come when this great estate shall come in hand and therefore they should lay out liberally upon their hopes at present and throw away all these things in a kind of holy prodigality when God calls for them being assured that their future inheritance will make amends for all This is the assuring act of the Spirit and differs from the former thus there hee barely discovers to us a promise and stirres us up to adventure upon it upon general invitations here he gives us an evidence that that promise is ours and enables us to make use of it by particular interest 3. He is the Advocate of our Cause And thus he is said also in this Chapter to make intercession for us When our title at any time comes under dispute or when any thing is detained from us which our relation and the evidences which confirm it entitles us unto he enables us to sue out our interest or if any thing befal us unworthy the children of God he helps us to write letters to our Father to complain of and bemoan our condition Rom. 8. 26 27. And this is that that is principally intended in the Text together with the former which is the ground of this the Spirit helps us to cry Abba Father by assuring us that God is our Father and putting us upon earnest and importunate requests to him as the requests of children use to be to a tender and compassionate Father And this work of the Spirit is so frequent and constant in the Saints that it is in effect attributed wholly to the Spirit God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into our heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crying as if he meerly acted our tongues Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. 4. He is the great guide of our way Ps 143. 10 He is the Tâ—tour of our youth we are not adulti till we be ripe for glory Ephes 4. 13. So we are said to Walk after and to be led by the Spirit verse 1 4 14. of this Chap. Therefore new obedience is call'd the Law of the Spirit of life v. 3. And the Spirit of the Lord is said to give liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Cameron in locum And so divers interpret the words of my Text with an opposition of servile obedience and filial obedience CHAP. III. Two practical Queries concerning the extent of this worke as to the subjects of it in the forementioned particulars Qu. WHat sense must this proposition be understood in That the Spirit of Bondage in Gods elect ends in a Spirit of Adoption Under which are comprized these farther enquiries Que. 1. Whether the Spirit of Adoption do work all the aforesaid works upon the hearts of all those that are elected or some of them onely upon all and all but on some Qu. 2. Whether upon all of them that have been under a Spirit of Bondage the Spirit do perform all the aforesaid workes or no Answ To both I shall give this preliminary answer and then give a more particular to each by it selfe 1. The Spirit doth give all Gods Elect at one time or other a true reall and unquestionable title to the grace of adoption and all the priviledges belonging thereunto 1. In justification making application of the soul of every elect person to Christ and of Christ to the soul 2. In sanctification making them partakers of the Divine Nature by the application of cleansing promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. For else two links of the chain next election would be broken Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated them he called and whom he called he justified And this is the first work before spoken of 2. The spirit doth work in all persons that are really converted whether in the method of a Spirit of Bondage or no at one time or other so much perswasion of the love of God as encourageth the soul to lay hold upon the promises of the Gospel and to lay claim to them and to adventure the soul upon them For this is the ground of that reliance by which the soul leans upon God and hangs upon Christ for salvation wherein the nature of justifying faith in my judgment doth consist But there is a difference between this and particular assuring faith For this is grounded only upon the free and unlimited offers of the Gospel which offers Christ and Salvation to all that receive him and come to him and the Gospells invitations to accept of it that is grounded upon particular evidence that we have already accepted of him and thereby he is become ours and we his from the effects of a true and saving reliance upon him And this general perswasion so far emboldens all Gods elect that upon the warrant of that they lay claim to God as their Father
fight for it Satan and Numb 13. 23 a mans corrupt heart are apt to discourage a soul under Bondage from hence What profit Job 21. 14 Lam. 3. 8. is there in serving God c. Thou prayest and he casteth out thy prayer thou hearest and art in trouble still Now God props up his people against such temptations by such Promises to all and performances to most of his Saints Reas 5 God doth it to wean his people from this world Now Lord lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation sayes Simeon when he had seen Christ in the flesh Luke 2. 29. And when a soul after long troubles of spirit recovers the assurance of Gods love O what poor things are all the treasures of the world to him Lord saith David lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and then take corn and wine and oyl who will Psal 4. 6. And then let the eyes of wicked men be even ready to strut out with sat and let them have all that they can wish yet saith he in another place I will not change portion with them for the Lord is the strength of my heart c. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and bring me to glory Psal 73. 25 26 27 28 A man that is called to be a Favourite to a King will quickly grow into a dis-esteem of his shop and retaile Trade his sheepfold or cow-stal Take no care for your stuff saith Joseph for all the fat of the Land of Egypt is yours Gen. 45. 20. So saith God to an assured soul Take no care for these earthly things thou hast in heaven a richer and more enduring substance Reas 6. Because God delights to hear from his Saints often Not only as a Master from a Servant nor as a rich man from a beggar nor as a Conqueror from a Captive but as a Father from a child as a husband from a Spouse Cant. 2. 14. The voyce of a Spouse of Christ in the cleft of the Rock i. e. relying on him upon assurance of his love is sweet Joseph could not abide long under the mis-apprehensions his brethren had of him My Lord and Thy servants Joseph thought were strange Titles to that of Brother hee longed to hear them call him by a name of relation so saith God Hosea 2. 16. to an afflicted Church CHAP. VI. A Question concerning the mediate and immediate Testimony of the Spirit HOw doth the Spirit testifie our Adoption For although divers godly Divines are of a different judgement in the point of immediate evidence yet I cannot be perswaded but that there is something in the work of the Spirits testimony which may deserve to be so expressed Ans Two wayes 1 Immediately 2 Mediately I. Immediately wherein the Spirit acts as in illumination and infusion of good motions into us by his secret influence upon the heart quieting and calming all those waves of distrust and diffidence concerning its condition by his own immediate power without the present application of any Scripture grounds to convince a mans reason that his testimony is true I shall parallel it with the motions of the Spirit thus As the Spirit many times excites a man to such or such a duty by laying his hand immediately upon the heart and therewithal a kind of secret force and power inclining the heart to obey those motions and as it many times opens the heart to such and such spiritual impressions by a physical injection of holy motions into it and warming the heart to receive them so in this case when a poor soul sits in darknesse and sees no light sometimes upon a sudden a light from heaven compasseth it about and it is it knowes not how in a moment as it were taken up into the third heaven its fears are banished by a soft whisper from the Spirit of God in the heart Thy sins are forgiven thee and this is in such a way that though the spirit of a man really believes it and is immediately calmed by it yet it cannot tell how it comes to passe And so it is sometimes in overcoming temptations a soule some other times is enabled to knock them to the ground by a scriptum est as Christ did Matth. 4. but sometimes it is stirred up to decline them and abhorre them by a secret rising of the spirit against them and to club them downe by meere force setting the bent of the will and affections against them without any present direct recourse of the soule to the written word And of this kinde is that worke of the Spirit stirring up in us sighes and groans in prayer that cannot bee uttered whereas at other times it furnisheth us with abundant matter of prayer from the promises and other straines of Scripture useful thereunto And thus as I said in conveying the evidences of Gods love the Spirit can and surely oftentimes doth alter the whole frame of a mans Spirit by a secret irradiation of comfort a man cannot tell how for as there is a kind of spiritual instinct in the soul by which it doth the things that are pleasing to God after conversion though many times it knowes not the principles upon which it acts so is there a secret and spiritual faculty in the divine nature that is infused unto us by which when the Spirit speakes peace to the soule it closeth with it without any reasoning or recourse to evidences as at other times As saith a learned man there is in the eye lumen innatum Rutherf on Jo. 12. p. 100. and in the eare aer internus a certaine imbred light to make the eye see lights and colours without and a sound and air in the eare within to make it discerne the sounds that are without so is there grace a new nature and habitual instinct of heaven to discerne the consolation of Gods spirit immediately testifying that wee are the sons of God There are some secret and unexpressible lineaments of the Fathers countenance in this child that the renewed soul at first blush knowes and ownes it But for the understanding of this you must observe with mee these few particulars for explication of this secret of experimentall godlinesse 1. That although the Spirit may testifie this immediately without any expresse and formall application of a word yet he never testifies but according to the word i. e. to subjects capable thereof and in such wayes as they are discovered to be capable by the word so that the Lords speaking peace to the soul being in the Scripture bound up to persons under certain qualifications the Spirit never speaks peace but where those qualities are real though not alwaies visible in the soule As for example if a man that feels not sin a burden heavyer then all the world that throwes away all duties of religion never prayes reads heares meditates nay goes on in some sinful way without remorse be filled with joy and peace and assurance
of Gods love 't is certaine the Holy spirit is not the Author of this because the promise of peace belongs to none of this stamp Matth. 11. 28. Isa 57. 15 16. Matth. 5. 3 4. 8. c. Undoubtedly this assurance is from the spirit of errour a false light to lead into a bogg 2. That ordinarily hee thus testifies either in or after waiting upon God in some duty or other as in praying meditation hearing receiving the Sacraments By which testimony God seals to the dutifull attendance upon him in such waies Isa 57. 19. and 56. 7. Or 3. In such great and grievous temptations and darknesse of spirit wherein a man by the cunning of Satan hath so intangled all those evidences of grace and sanctification which hee might draw assurance from with sophistical evasions that they will not fasten any thing of comfort upon him Then when a man cannot untie those knots by which Satan hath entangled his spirit somtimes the spirit of God by such a sudden irradiation puts a soule upon an inartificial and illogicall way of solution enabling him to hold to his claime of Christ by a kind of resolute confidence though hee bee not able to prove it sound at present or answer Satans sophistry to the contrary as Alexander when hee could not untie the Gordian knot hewed it asunder with his sword And as that holy Martyr that answered all the Romish Doctours Sophistry by a fixed resolution of dying for Christ though shee could not dispute for him Now wee must take notice withall 4. That such testimonies of the Spirit do beget but an actual assurance during the present exigency or in order to some present designe that God is working thereby These are extraordinary dainties that God will not have us feed constantly upon A gleam Rutherf ubi suprà of light as one calls it in a dark night when a man cannot coast the Country and diseern his way by those marks which direct him at other times perhaps lightning from a thunder-cloud that comes just in the moment when a man is stepping into a pit that would swallow him up or to discover a cottage which he may turne into till the storme bee over c. Now a Traveller wil not depend alwaies upon such a guide but if hee can will learne out such way-marks for his constant direction as may bee standing assurances to him that hee is in the way and rather choose to travel by day when hee may see them distinctly Thus though Gods Spirit divers times takes this course to shine peace into our hearts upon unusual occasions immediately viz after extraordinary seeking God in duty under the immediate violence of some desperate temptation in which cases God hath sometimes condescended even to a kind of miracle as when he preserved the glasse from breaking which the troubled and almost despairing Gentlewoman threw against the ground making its breaking to pieces and her owne Mrs. Honymood damnation a like certaine or at the houre of death especially Martyrdome yet to take these for ordinary presidents and look for them constantly without endeavouring by standing evidences to make out an habitual assurance to our soules of our calling and election is a bold and presumptuous tempting of God And therefore 5 It is a fearful error of the Antinomians which teacheth us to reject the graces of sanctification from being grounds of our assurance whiles they tell us that they are all deceiving evidences because that were to light a candle to the sun they mean to the immediate testimony of the Spirit For certainly the testimony of the Spirit cannot bee without the indwelling of the Spirit and is accompanied alwaies with the leading of the Spirit See the connexion of these two in vers 14. 15 of this chapter compared Rom. 8. 14 15 compared And wee know that hee dwelleth in us and we in him because wee have received of his Spirit 1 John 4. 13. And John 14. 16 17 Christ promiseth them the Comforter but how shall wee know him might they say seeing the world as you tel us knows him not He shal saith our Savior dwel in you The in-dwelling therfore of the Spirit is an evidence of the truth and reality of the assurance that we have from the Spirit Hence are all those marks and signes that the Scripture every where holds out called fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. so that though the Spirit testifie immediately yet it submits the trial of his own testimony to his works Nor is this any dishonour to the Spirit to be tryed by his works seeing our Saviour Christ was content to submit the trial of his Godhead to the evidences of his works John 14. 11. But more of this in the second way of the Spirits testimonie which is II. Mediately and that is twofold 1 Without Argumentation 2 With Argumentation but both from the Word 1 Without Argumentation The Spirit sometimes applies the word to the soule and enables the soule to close with it for comfort in some particular promise of Scripture wherein God speaks so patt to its case that it takes that word as a message from heaven and rests in it upon the very first apprehension of it And such is the peace that a soul gets from those promises that either expresse not any condition or else such a condition as the soul presently apprehends it self under as suppose thou art burthened for some sin hast prayed earnestly for pardon against it suppose it a sin of backsliding and whiles thou art praying for pardon or waiting upon God in his word a secret whisper of the Spirit casts into thy heart Hos 4 14. I will heale thy backslidings and love thee freely or suppose that Matth. 11. 28. Come to mee all yee that are heavy laden and I wil give you rest c. This is a direct testimony and must be understood under the former limitations of immediate evidence 2. With Argumentation when he testifies the truth of thy sonship by grace when he applies conditional promises and upon search enables thee to apply the conditions of them This is the usuall way for getting habitual assurance a reflected testimony from our owne graces which are the love-tokens of Christ to us and discover that love even when as to present influence hee is absent from us And thus doth the Spirit properly witnesse with our spirits as followes in the next verse In the other two hee witnesseth Rom. 8. 16. to our spirits in this properly with our spirits And there is as much difference between these as between the assurance that Jacob had of his Son Joseps life from the Word of his sonnes and from the Chariots that hee had sent for him Gen. 45. 26 27 28 when they only told him so hee was indeed overjoyed but was also even in a fainting condition through the strugling of fear with joy as the disciples at Christs resurrection Luk. 24. 41. But when he saw the wagons
less sensible Because God permitts this darkness in designe for some special ends of his owne Now the person a man puts on upon designe commonly he useth to over-act even beyond what he would if he were reall So although when God was really an enemy as before conversion he carryed himselfe by secret supports and encouragements of the soul as one that was not utterly irreconcileable yet when he meerely intends to appeare so he carries himselfe so strangely that the soul really believes he is in earnest and intends its ruine irrecoverably Lam. 3. 5. 7 8 9. The church aggravates her sad condition from extraordinary appearances of Gods dealing with her God in such a case leaves the soul alone like a sparrow on the house Psal 102. 7. And woe to him that is alone Eccles 4. 40. 4 And thus fourthly The grounds of the horrid troubles that Gods Saints fall into after assurance may be and are occasionally from the Spirit of God though immediately and by way of an efficient cause they are not from that spirit Thus the Spirit led Christ into the wildernesse Mat. 4. 1. 1 By an active suggesting to the soul such considerations as may start a soul-trouble As when it makes a fresh disâ—overy of New committed sinnes and stirs up the soule to renew repentance for them Such motions may be the occasion of farther enquiries into a mans own heart and so of questions concerning his estate And thus by degrees they may grow into as palpable Legal Terrours as any ever the soul groaned under 2 By withdrawing that assistance from the soul which should maintain the soul in peace and joy of the Holy Ghost When the Sun hides behind a cloud or is under an Eclipse it must needs be dark If the Father let goe the little childs hand in a dark and dangerous place he will surely fall And thus is the Spirit the negative cause if I may so express my self of the saddest bondage that comes on the people of God after Assurance 5 But Lastly the Spirit to be sure doth never cause and work a feare of bondage in the soul after Assurance as it did before and that may be seen in these differences 1. Before there was a time when he convinced the sinner of a state of sin and enmity to God After it never doth tel a man so any more 2. Before there was a time when he convinced the soul of a state of wrath and condemnation arising from that enmity but having once effectually converted and assured the soul of reconciliation he never presents hell and wrath any more to the soul as its portion 3. Besides He sometimes presented every act of sinne as unpardoned Now he never doth so any more in that sense wherein he did so formerly That is that I may not be mistaken He never presents Gods vindictive or avenging Justice unto the soul as unsatisfied for such a sin though he may present Gods fatherly Justice as displeased at it 4. Before hee sometime presented every suffering of this life to the soul as a part of the curse of the Law and the earnest-penny of Hell Now he never leads the soul to the view of sufferings under that notion but only as fatherly corrections and chastisements by which God endeavours to quicken the soul into a speedy return unto him by renewed repentance and humiliation CHAP. XXXIV The proof of the Thesis from 1. Scripture 2. Reason THe truth of this point is abundantly cleer Proof from the Scripture and Reason For Scripture Take notice of the names by which the Spirit is set out to us in the Word 1 He is called the Comforter John 14. 16. And this in his peculiar Office to the Saints Now he would fail in the discharge of it if ever he should bring Gods adopted children into bondage againe Therefore when our Saviour promiseth the Comforter he also engageth that he shall abide with the Saints John 14 16. 'T is true their comforts are many times fleeting comforts But the Spirit of God is not to be blamed for that Ordinarily 't is their own fault and oftentimes Satans temptations eclipse the comforts and refreshments of the Spirit to the soule Though their comforts be fleeting the Comforter is not To debase himself from being the Comforter to the Divels imployment the Accuser of the Brethren is dishonourable to the Holy Spirit 2 Besides he is called our Seal and how long doth he continue so unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30. Hee will not to day scale an evidence of heaven to the soul and tomorrow seal its Mittimus to hell 3 Moreover he is called our Earnest and can we think that God will give us an earnest of heaven one day and revoke it again the next or ever deny the bargain which that Earnest secures unto us An honest man will not do so far be it from God to do what common honesty will keep man from Rom. 11. 29. 4 He is the Spirit of Adoption testifying to us that we are the children of God ver 16. of the chapter in hand And can it be imagined that he will ever tell a child of God that he is become a child of the Divel There is no lesse Reason For Reas 1. I have shewed before that The Spirit and the Word never crosse each others Testimony Now the Word never pronounceth bondage to any one that hath received the Witnesse of the Spirit nay not to any one that hath the least grace of the Spirit The Word every where speaks comfort to such Isa 40. 1 2. Rom. 8. 1 34. Reas 2. That which is the badge of a false Prophet and which God dislikes in such cannot without blasphemy be attributed to the holy Spirit of God But to make the heart of the righteous sad is a badge and sin of false Prophets Ezek 13. 22. Reas 3. That ought not to be supposed to be wrought by Gods Spirit which as often as it is on our spirits is our sin and infirmity but to doubt of the saving love of God after enjoyment of the manifestation and feeling of it is our sin and infirmity Psal 77. 20. And therefore the Spirit cannot be the Author thereof because the Holy Spirit cannot be the Author of sin Reas 4. That which hinders the most proper and peculiar work of the Spirit of Adoption cannot be the work of the Spirit except we suppose the Spirit so indiscreet as to counteract himself But if the Holy Spirit ever become a Spirit of bondage to the soule after tastes of Gods love communicated thereunto the Spirit would be guilty of counter-acting its most proper and peculiar work which as the next Doctrine from the last words of the Text shews you is to embolden and enliven the heart in Prayer For how can he call God Father with confidence to whom the Spirit witnesseth that God is an enemy Reas 5. The Spirits Testimony if it could ever become a Spirit of Bondage
from sin How do thy old garments fit thee Dost thou more and more grow out of love with sin and more and more put it off at least in the love of it This growth the Apostle saw when he could see none else Rom 7. 20. This is most discernable in the combats between the heart and Original sin when a man clubs it down in its first motions 't is a good token of growth A moral man may forbeare those sins in act which a godly man may fall into but a Saint labours more at the root of sin when moral men pare off the branches 3 A growth of heavenly mindednesse These toyes and trifles of the world how do they take with thee That which the Apostle saith of childish knowledg c. I may say of childish desires 1 Cor. 13. 11. A Saint then growes a man when he throwes away childish things Dost thou grow more liberal and open hearted The more a mans heart is loosed from the earth the nearer it growes to heaven Grace here is glory in the cradle and it daily growes heavenward 4. A growth of aimes and desires What dost thou purpose to thy selfe Will not small things content thee then thy appetite is growne The more manly we grow the more manly our aimes are See how the Apostle calls this growth of aimes perfection Phil. 3. 15. So that thy trouble that thou growest not and thy aimes at farther improvement discover that thou art improving Vse 3. This Thesis also is three waies for Consolation to Saints For 1. This confirms us in the Doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints For if a true Saint might fall away from grace the Spirit might justly again become a Spirit of Bondage to him For he that falls from grace falls under the Law and he that falls under the Law is liable to all its terrors as his proper portion For all that the Law speaks it speaks to them that are under the Law Rom. 3. 19. If a child of God to day might prove a child of the Divel to morrow surely the Spirit might safely tell him so 2 This scatters and dispells the greatest venom that imbitters Saints second troubles When a man looks on God as leading him into temptation it is far more bitter then when a man falls into it by his own neglect or Satans malice When a man apprehends the Spirit of God whom he expects as a Comforter to become his Tormentor this is a double torment Now against this the Lord gives us this cordial assurance once for all that to a Saint no such thing ever can be the work of the Spirit 3 This shewes Saints a ground upon which if it be not their own fault they may live in constant peace to wit by maintaining continual correspondence and un-interrupted amity with the Spirit of Adoption Surely he that never speaks Bondage after he hath spoken peace may be heard speaking peace alwayes were it not our own fault Did wee heed what hee sayes and acquaint our selves more with his voice we should find him a Comforter still But we are apt to give more eare to our owne carnal reason and Satans tentations then to his gracious and comfortable tidings Few Saints should they put their souls to Davids question Psalm 42. were able to answer it satisfactorily except there be reason why men should trouble and distract their owne spirits whether God will or no. And thus much shall suffice for this third point CHAP. XLV A fourth Thesis with its explication NOw come we to the last Thesis from the Text which is the fourth in this Treatise Doct. That one principal work of the Spirit of Adoption in the soul that hath received it is to enliven and embolden it in prayer That we may not mistake in the sense of the Proposition observe with mee first a few things tending to the Explication of it When I say a principal work I mean not to compare the assistance he gives to prayer with his work of uniting the soul to Christ in justification of quickning the soul with habitual grace in Sanctification or the work of Assurance it self For no stream can rationally be admitted into comparison with its fountain Now the Spirit of prayer is but an emanation of grace and Adoption first a Spirit of grace and then a Spirit of supplication Zech. 12. 10. And therefore this must be understood of those operations which flow from habitual grace and Assurance that of them there is no nobler act of the Spirit of Grace and Adoption enabling us to and in them then this Qu. 1. What act of the Spirit of Adoption thus works Answ When I speak of this particular boldnesse as the work of the Spirit of Adoption I would be understood of the Spirit of Adoption chiefly in his witnessing Act of which we have hitherto principall treated though I shall not here more then in the former point exclude him in his other acts only I shall shew from which work of the Spirit of Adoption this which wee treat of doth more immediatly arise For whereas I before told you twice of four works of the Spirit of Adoption to unite to witnesse to intercede to direct whereof the uniting act is the most noble and the fountain of all the rest union with Christ being the source of all communion you must farther know that the rest of these Acts do not alike primarily flow from the first but by the meditation and interposition of one another The spirit intercedes in us but by the help of his assuring work he produceth its most fervent and confident petitions And the last work his guiding work he performes by both the former viz. perswading the soul upon assurance of successe to fetch direction and assistance from God in all its wayes by faith in the promises and prayer Q. 2. Doth the Spirit work thus in all Saints Answ 1. When I say it is the work of the Spirit of Adoption I must not be understood to affirme a constant and perpetual assistance of the witnessing Spirit in all the Saints to the performance of this Duty in a like high spiritfull and confident way For the dearest Saints of God whiles they enjoy the Spirit of Adoption may be under strange deadnesse distraction and indosposednesse in Duty and under no lesse doubting suspiciousnesse and jealousie of God and his affectons to them which must needs hinder their boldness in calling him Father 2 Thus accordingly as we must distinguish times so we must distinguish between degrees of livelinesse and boldnesse in praying Between praying to God as to a Father and calling him Father aloud in Prayer or as in the words of the Text crying Abba Father For the Spirit as He unites the soul to Christ is a Spirit of Supplication helps us to pray and that with life and boldnesse But because he may possibly not alwayes act in his witnessing way although even then the soul is enabled to pray acceptably
of blowing up the coals as well as by throwing water upon them To move you hereunto consider 1 There is little difference as to the comfort of grace between grace lying dead and no grace at all A man that hath riches and God gives him not an heart to enjoy them wherein is he better as to the comfort of his life then a man that hath not a penny in the world This is an evil thing under the Sun saith Solomon Eccles 6. 1 2. A man that hath no grace enjoyes no communion with God sits dull and unprofitable under all Ordinances makes no spiritual advantage of any enjoyment and so doth the man that hath grace un-improved 2 The lesse you stir up your graces the less you will be able to use them when you have need If a mans faith humility sorrow for sin be away in one Duty or two he will not find them readily at hand when he would make use of them again A tool a man useth at every turn will not be so often out of the way as one he useth but now and then Besides suppose them constantly at hand yet if not imployed they will be rusty and unfit for use except they be rubbed up by constant imployment 3 Corruptions will be stirring daily and Satan will be perpetually blowing them up especially in the Duty of Prayer There is no Duty in which the people of God complain Ut jugulent homines surgunt de nocte latrones Vt teipsum serves non expergisceris Horat. more of distempers and distractions then that Duty The thief is abroad active and vigilant and shall the Traveller ride on carelesly and not look about him to keep his weapon in a readinesse for every assault There is no rode more infested with Thieves then the rode betweene earth and heaven the Traffick is precious and therefore a man had need stir up and quicken himself to all the cautiousnesse that may be and muster up all his strength for a convoy to secure the passage Now there is no convoy that more secures all our duties in that traffick and all our returns then a convoy of active graces 4. The Saints of God have used to do so to call upon themselves and to quicken themselves unto a spiritual and lively performance of duties to God David is frequent herein Psal 103. 1. All that is within me praise his holy name Arise faith humility self-denial joy hope and be stirring I am about a duty of importance and that to a God to whom I stand deeply obliged do your best therefore to help me to praise his holy name So Psal 57 7 8. My heart is fixed or prepared or ready Awake my glory Tongue See you do your duty lively and vigorously awake my Psaltery and I my self wil awake early i. e. I wil stir up all my graces to bear you company And the whole Church complains of the want hereof Isai 64. 7. 5 God in all his grants takes special notice of the activity of our graces in approaching to him Jer. 30. 21. Who is this that engaged his heart to approach to me saith the Lord q. d. There are many that approach to me but who is that among all the rest that engaged his heart to approach to me Of all the rest I take notice of him he quickned all his graces and stirred up all his soul on purpose that he might approach to me As if a great man come to a Town and publick entertainment be made him if any one among the rest be more active then ordinary he takes especial notice of him Who is this that makes so much ado above all the rest I must take special notice of him and gratifie him with some extraordinary favour God le ts passe an hundred lazy Petitioners and seeks out a fervent one in a throng of Christians 6 If you do not stir up your graces to seek God God will stir them up for you If an horse that hath mettal enough grow dull the rider puts to the spur to quicken him If you grow dull and careless in Duty God will spur up your graces and quicken you to your pain and cost too Indeed saith God is it so Can such a man afford me no better services then so is every slight slovenly performance good enough for me Well I will be served with that that costs him something before I have done with him With-draw thy comforts from him Spirit smite him sickness vex him Satan persecute him enemies I will warrant it I shall hear from him shortly in another guise manner Hos 5. 15. In their affliction they will seek me early Take this for an usual rule Ordinarily after a continued deadness and formality of Spirit upon a Saint in Duty comes some sharp affliction or other CHAP LII A Question how Saints may recover out of deadnesse in prayer answered something about formes Quest BUt how shall I stirre up my selfe to seek the Lord How shall I recover out of this strange deadnesse and formality of spirit which I am fallen into Answ 1 Vse not to set upon the duties in which you approach to God without meditation David says of himselfe whiles I was musing the fire kindled Psal 39. 3. Meditate principally upon the most proper moving objects of every grace Faith acts upon Gods faithfulnesse in his promises to stirre up faith therefore meditate upon God in his faithfulnesse and that as declared in some special promise that concerns thy case and condition Love and thankfulnesse are exercised upon the goodnesse of God Meditate upon the goodnesse of God to thee in particular to stirre up those graces humility is most affected with a mans own vilenesse and Gods glory compared together here then set out God in his majesty as gloriously as thou canst in thy meditations then view thy selfe and thy own vilenesse especially reflecting upon those sinnes of thine which have had most vilenesse and loathsomnesse of circumstances and are attended with the most abhominable aggravations And so in other graces 2. Choose the most free and lively seasons for duty The morning before worldly busines hath deadned flatted the spirit is of special use for prayer 'T was not for nothing that David so often made choyce of that time Psalm 5. 3. 59. 16. 88. 13. 119. 147. 63. 1. 108. 2. c. If a man will attend any businesse without distraction or disturbance that is the time to be beforehand with the disturbances of dayly businesses and occasions When we slip out of every worldly imployment into prayer or at night when we are half asleep mix nods with petitions no wonder if we complain of deadnesse and dulness and distraction 3. Watch to prayer Col. 4. 2. Continue in prayer and watch thereunto c. 1 Pet. 4. 7. Be sober and watch unto prayer Watch against Satan who will then be busie to disturbe you it may be with Atheistical and blasphemous thoughts and other
time of judgment and 't is part of their plague that God will laugh at their destruction Prov. 1. 26. 27. Be-fool thy selfe and be-beast thy selfe before God that thou shouldest be so improvident as to neglect the providing of any materials to build thee a shed against a storme or to think that thou shouldest never see a time in which thou shouldst have need of God Say Lord thou art just but I am wicked It is righteous with thee to stamp my punishment with the very image of my sin Thou art righteous though thou shouldst never open my lips or my heart though thou shouldest seal my condemnation to my soul by sealing up both my heart mouth and not suffering me so much as to open my mouth to petition for a pardon 3. Earnestly gâ—oan and sigh hefore the Lord as thou canst desiring him that he will not take against thee the advantage which thy provocations have given him that he will enlarge thy heart and bestow upon thee the Spirit of supplication And who knowes whether in praying that thou mayst pray God may not teach thee to pray 'T is not for nothing that God bids even carnal men to pray Act. 8. â—… Though they cannot pray acceptably without the Spirit sure 't is because in his ordinary way of dispensation the Spirit of prayer is given in praying as the spirit of faith is given in hearing though we cannot hear acceptably without faith Me thinks the words hold forth no less Luke 11. 13. He gives the Holy Spirit to them that aske him We cannot aske the Spirit as we ought without the Spirit yet we get the Spirit in asking 4. Think not thy present estate utterly irremediable For though there be a time when God will not be found of sinners though they seek the blessing with tears Heb. 12. 17. yet know that there is no time in which he excludes a penitent and sincere hearted petitioner And the reason why many a prophane Esau failes in finding is because he failes in seeking If thy heart be now so affected as is before described know God hath in part heard thee in giving thee an heart so seriously affected with its own barrennesse deadnesse and impenitency and know farther that barrennesse felt and complained of and groaned under is no more barren but occasionally fruitfull in many sweet affections though yet thou be straightened in expressions And there may be more prayers in one groane from an heart that is sensible of its own inability to pray then in many large discourses and â—rations to God from a formal and customary devotion 5. Shouldst thou dye in this condition with thy face towards heaven yet thou mayst dye with hope that thy present seed time of tears shall end in an harvest of joy that though thy mouth be shut on earth yet seeing God hath opened thy heart it shall also be opened in heaven The Thiefs prayer on the Cross was an effectual prayer though but a short one Let that keep thee from despair but let it not encourage thee to presume He that made but one prayer in his life and that at the hour of death yet that one prayer prevailed to open Paradise I fear his example hath occasionally shut it to thousands of presuming sinners that have presumed upon the same admittance yet as to thee whose heart God hath opened I dare present it as an encouragement Tell me not God opens not thy mouth if the heart be open 't is far more then if the mouth were never so enlarged One sigh in secret of a broken heart is more then many loud howlings of frighted Formalists and Hypocrites That key that opens the heart will open heaven too 6 And lastly Now resolve in the strength of Christ and the Covenant of Grace which hath layd help upon him for thee that if ever thou get out of the present trouble if ever thou be enabled to break these bars of indisposition streightnednesse of spirit thou wilt never be so neglectful of maintaining the acquaintance thou hast gotten with God as thou hast been in getting it And take heed for time to come that thou performe thy resolutions in that kind Take heed prove not so ungrateful or ill-natured as to look no more after God when once the present turn is served and thou thinkest thou canst go alone Let God see that thou seekest his acquaintance for his own worth and excellency not meerly for mercenary ends and thy own necessities Lest God deal with thee for time to come as men use to deal with those that haunt them only when they have need of them lest he resolve not to be at home when thou knockest for him henceforward and avoid all occasions of being spoken withal walk on the other side of the street that hee may not meet thee and be occasioned to take notice of thee and know thee afar off look high Psalm 138. 6. and keep distance and either in judgement shut up thy mouth and heart to prayer again which he may easily do 't is but with-holding the supply of the Spirit and thou art as dead as a doornaile as we use to say or else open it in a greater judgment to let thee tire and weary out thy selfe with such cryes and howlings as hee is resolved to turne the deafe ear unto And that is an heavy judgement to have the mouth opened in prayer and heaven shut against it Lam. 3. 8. 2 If thou be one of that holy generation of Seekers not above duty but under it Psalm 24. 6. Hast by a constant intercourse with God entered an holy acquaintance with him in former times and therefore takest it ill that thou canst neither send to him nor hear from him now that at so needful a time thou hast lost thy wonted correspondence and canst not because all thy wonted posts of holy and flaming affections and importunate expressions are stopped give him intelligence of thy condition 1 Do not judg over harshly of thy self because thereof For it is a thing under the greatnesse of trouble incident to the best of Gods Saints and is not so much to bee imputed to them as to the burthens that oppresse them Curae leves loquuntur ingentes stupent Little troubles are loud but great ones dumb 'T was Hezekiahs case Isaiah 38. 14. Lord I am oppressed The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being a Verb of the third Person and Feminine Gender saith one of the Rabbins hath relation â—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 12. which we translate a pining sicknesse and 't is as much as if he had said My wasting Disease hath so spent my very spirits that I am grown a meer stock so dull and stupid that I cannot perform any duty of Religion as I would And 't is the usual complaint of most of Gods people that the weaknesse of their bodies in such a condition much deadneth the vigour and activity of their spirits 'T was Jobs case chap. 6.
3. My grief is heavier then the sand of the sea therefore my words are swallowed up Verba mea semesa sunt so some render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fract a sunt corrupta sunt therefore my words are broken mangled words Broken expressions are the very gobbets of a broken heart Others read it as we Verba mea absorbentur my words are devoured or swallowed up My sorrow feeds so upon my spirits that it devours my very words and doth not leave me so much as the slender ease of a complaint A metaphor taken from the quicksands in the sea that swallow up a ship hulk and masts and sayles and passengers and all at a morsel as it were to which he alludes as appears in that he compares his grief to the sands in the former part This heart-oppression like a known melancholy disease in the night with which some persons are troubled so oppresseth the brest that a man cannot speak This was Hemans disease an holy man too Psal 77. 4. I am so troubled that I cannot speak Nay farther a Saint may be so low under hatches in affliction especially in soul-troubles under the Spirit of Bondage or spiritual desertion that his very eyes are shut as well as his mouth Mine iniquities saith David have taken hold on me so that I cannot look up Psal 40. 12. If this be thy case then be sure God pities thee the more by how much the less thou art able to speak for thy self As we use to pity little children and persons that are dumb and are sensible of the injuries done to them more then to others Alas poor souls we use to say they cannot speak for themselves Nay we pity an horse and such other unreasonable creatures when misused upon the same account Alas poor dumb thing who would use a dumb creature so Sure then God must needs be more tenderly pitiful to a soul in such a condition And our Mediator our Advocate in heaven must needs be the more eloquent in pleading for the Saints his Clyents when they are under such a tongue-tyed condition Alas saith Christ poor soul Father hear me for him he cannot speak for himself His condition speaks aloud for him because it hinders him from speaking 2 Know there be secret wayes of acquainting God with thy straights and pressures when the more visible and sensible outlets and avenues of the soul are all blocked up They that are skilled in the Military Art have sometimes shot intelligence in a bullet in the head of an Arrow when the City or Castle hath been besieged on all parts so closely that no ordinary way of correspondence with their friends hath been left open And this intelligence though it bee short and small in bulk yet may be as pithy and as much in substance and use as a whole sheet of paper written all over We starve or We want Ammunition or men to man our works so A few dayes and without relief we can hold out no longer is as good intelligence as can be in such a case It may be thou canst not tell God a large story how 't is with thee nor limne out thy sad case in lively colours canst not paint thy present death to the life or give light enough by thine expressions to discover the darkness of thy afflictions as David Hezekiah have done when they recovered their tongues again but yet thou canst say Lord I want Lord I am sick Lord I faint Lord I dye c. Thou canst with the Publican say Lord be merciful to me a sinner Luke 18. 13. With David in his troubled condition But thou Lord how long Psal 6. 3. With Hezekiah under his fainting fit thou canst chatter Lord I am oppressed undertake for me or ease me Isai 38. 14. And if thou canst not do so much yet thou canst set thy selfe as in the presence of God and even out of the mouth of hell look towards his holy Temple cast a begging look as children do towards some Sweet meats they dare not ask for towards the Throne of Grace so Jonah did Jonah 2. 4. Thou canst sigh and groan Now this is sufficient intelligence to God whose blessed Spirit speaks in these groans and he understands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the general bent inclination and affection of the Spirit and from it can pick out his meaning because he searcheth the heart Rom 8. 27. As a Nurse can make english of the stammering broken speech of the child nay the mother sometimes knowes by the looks of the child what its mouth waters for and a skilful Antiquary can write an History out of the broken Inscriptions of old coynes and Monuments of Antiquity because he is acquainted and useth to commune with those kind of fragments And take this for a certain rule a man may have much of the spirit of prayer who hath very little of the Gift of prayer and so may be streightned very much in this when his heart runs over with the abundance of that 3 Yet is not this condition to be rested in it being that that keeps the soul in a famishing estate but the Saints of God ought by all means to endeavour the recovery of their freedom and liberty of spirit and expression in duty as knowing that much of the comfort support and strength of their spirits is abated whiles they are thus tongue-tyed And therefore for recovery out of this spiritual distemper I would prescribe these Helps 1 Examine carefully what it is that streightens the spirit and shuts the mouth which may be 1 The greatness of your burthen as before And that you shal know by these two Marks 1 If it indispose you to all other imployments as well as to prayer Thus 't was with the Author of Ps 102 the Title of the Psalm tells you his condition he was one whose spirit was over-whelmed and how doth that appear My heart saith he is smitten like grass and withered a metaphor taken from frosts that nip the grasse and intercept the juice that should come from the root to the blades and so it becomes withered so saith he the extremity of my trouble withers and shrivels up my very heart so that I am like a dead saplesse thing But it may be he was only so in the matters of God and then it might possibly be his sin No he was so in all humane affaires too I forget saith he to eat my bread verse 4. No wonder saith hee if I bee withered in the affaires of my mind when I grow even carelesse of my very body I forget to eat my bread 2. If it shut up the heart in complaining to man as well as in complaints to God A troubled soul goes to a godly Minister it may be and thinks to utter to him all that is in the heart and fain would unloade it selfe in his ears but finds it selfe so straightened it can scarce say a word that it came for and that not meerly
A man that hath but confused notions of a thing is not able to make a clear and distinct relation of it Sometimes we cannot pray because we know not what to ask Rom. 8. 26. We know not what to ask because we know not distinctly what ails us troubled we are but we cannot tell why As a man divers times in distemper of body let a Physician come to him ask him how he doth he will tell him Sick Sir very sick But ask him where the seat of his distemper most lyes he cannot tel he is very ill and that is all that he can say Thus many a man is troubled in mind indistinctly and confusedly Now such a man cannot but be shut up in prayer The head is clouded and that cloudeth the heart And as in a mist a man sees Objects at a distance that fright him but because he sees them in a mist he can give no distinct intelligence of them So here And oftentimes melancholy of body concurs to hinder by darkning the judgment and distracting the fancy 3 Study Gods Promises and let them dwell in you plentifully And especially such Promises as most concerne your condition so discovered When David hath a Promise he never wants a Prayer How often Psalm 119. doth he urge God upon his Word ver 25 28 58 116 169. The Word is the quiver of all those holy Arrowes by which a straitned soul shoots intelligence to Heaven Prayer is nothing but the Eccho of a Promise I will ease thee saith Christ Matth. 11. 28. O ease me saith the soul Wait and God shall strengthen thy heart saith the Word Psal 27. ult Strengthen my heart saith the soul My grace is sufficient for thee saith the Lord 2 Cor. 12. 9 Let thy grace be sufficient for me saith the soul of a praying Christian Get a Promise and thou hâ—st a great deal of cloath for prayer it lacks but cutting out 4. Stir up the grace of God that is in thee 1 By Meditation Meditation is the bellowes that sets grace a flaming Meditate upon the forementioned Subjects thy owne present condition Gods love and Promises add to them thy frequent past experiences the nature use necessity of maintaining intelligence with God in thy condition the nature use ends of an afflicted estate the Duties that God expects from thee in it and many more subjects of this or a like nature And thou wilt find it with thee as with David Psalm 39. 3. My heart was hot I mused the fire kindled then I spake with my tongue He was dumb before but the heart growes so full now it must needs out or 't will break for want of vent Set before thee as matters of Meditation the chapters and places of Scripture that have been penn'd by the Saints in thy condition 2 By frequent essayes Thou canst not pray How often hast thou tryed It may be once or twice and then grown weary Try again man and again and again till thou canst Some never work well till they are warm Obj. But I can say nothing Answ Then go and complain Lord I would pray but I can say nothing Then look out a Promise and turn it into a Prayer and if thou canst do no more rise again and anon fall to it again Thus children learn to spell read and write What if thou go three four twenty times together and be able to say but a few words those stil the same Christ did so in his Agony In such a case if thou hast a good form by thee of another mans I know not why at least the viewing if not use of it may not quicken the Spirit of Prayer in thee Câ—uâ—ches may help us when we are lame that hinder us when we are sound 3 If thou caust get a godly experienced friend to pray with thee discover thy case to him as well as thou canst and let him spread it before the Lord and labor thou to joyne with him Iron sharpneth iron so doth the face of a man his friend In such holy communion one prayer begets another Two lying together grow both warm Or get such friends to pray for thee 1 Cor. 1. 11. Paul acknowledgeth a great deal of help from the Corinthians prayers A diligent use of these means and frequent application of thy self to the use of them wil by degrees recover thy lost acquaintance with God again FINIS The Contents THe first Treatise concerning the Spirit of Bondage layes down these two Theses 1. That the convictions concussions and terrours which bring a sinner before conversion under a spiritual bondage to the sad apprehensions of the curse and wrath of God due to him by the Law because of the guilt of sinne are ordinarily the works of Gods blessed Spirit 2. That In order to the conversion of sinners it is the ordinary and usual way of the Holy Spirit of God to become thus a Spirit of Bondage before he becomes a Spirit of Adoption To the first of these way is made by a preface containing a brief explication and vindication of the meaning of the Apostle Paul Rom. 8. 15. where he makes mention of this Spirit of Bondage wherein I state this Question Quest What the Spirit of Bondage is in the Apostles sense and the fear that proceeds from it Chap. 1. The Thesis cleared 1. By shewing how this work as it is managed by the Spirit of God differs from a like work of Satan And in the close thereof 2. By enquiring whether this work always ends in conversion Chap. 2. A few words are added to prove it Chap. 3. Practical Corollaries from the Premises 1. By way of support Chap. 4. 2. By way of Caution in several branches 0 1. Not to harden the heart against the Spirits soft voyce 2. Not to mis-apprehend our own case under bondage 3. Not to judge others in that case 4. Not to break the Spirits bonds but by his leave whether it be 1. By profane or vain diversions and avocations of our hearts from being serious and through therein Chap. 5. 2. Or by over-greedy grasping after peace and comfort ere we are prepared for it Whence ariseth A Practical Question concerning the measures of humiliation necessarily required to conversion and comfort and concerning fitnesse of the soul for comfort Chap. 6. The 3. 4 5 6. Corolaries Viz. By way of exhortation By way of conviction of the true use of the ministry of the Law By way of plea for the frequent seeming peevishness of poor souls refusing comfort By way of humiliation to such as herein have formerly it may be frequently stifled convictions and fears c. 7. The second Thesis explained 1. By enquiring into the nature of the work of the Spirit of Bondage where conviction is described ch 8. 2. By assigning the means of this work ch 9. Evidence given of the Spirits usual working this way c. 10. Qu. Vpon what designes the Spirit most commonly workes in this method Discovered in twelve