Lord upon the head upon the head Christ and the influence of that anointing upon the members to wit on the meek on the broken-hearted on the captives on those that are bound and sold Then saith the man Christ the Spirit of the Lord hath sent the strong and fountain-influences of the abounding anointing on me and I may send the fruits of these holy influences upon the meek to preach to them glad tidings that they may believe and influences upon the broken hearts that they may be bound up and influences on the captives and prisoners and the sold and oppressed with debt that they may be made free for binding up of hearts and freeing of captives and prisoners are impossible without the healing influences of Christ Then saith he God lets out to me and to the members 〈◊〉 the head receive anointing and a full fountain and I issue out streames and life to the members look then as the dry earth hath a sort of connatural right of meanes and end to the full clouds and bottles of heaven and the rain in the clouds and the cold and dead earth hath a sort of connatural right by the Lords holy appointment to the influences of the Sun so by a decree of free grace the broken-hearted the meek the captives the prisoners have a right of meanes in order to the end to the influences of compassion and tenderness and of real grace that in its fulness is in the soul and heart of the Mediator Christ toward their brokenness bondage and misery who are his Then may the captive and prisoner claime influences from Christ as the dry earth in its kind suites and â—egges that raine that is in the bosome and womb of the clouds for its refreshments and so much the more that fulness of Christs anointing is not only ordered by a free and gracious decree as the meanes for this end to supply the emptiness of the meek and the poor captives but 2. also which is more the influences of the fulness of Christs anointing is due by way of merit and of buying and selling to those captives as when there is a large price of blood given for to redeem the man in his vain conversation as 1 Pet. 1. 18. from the present evil world Gal. 1. 15. from the living to sin and in sin 1 Pet. 2. 24. from all iniquity and the bondage and filthiness thereof Tit. 2. 14. There is a due right in law by way of bargain and payment made to Justice upon Christs part that such ought not to be detained slaves captives and prisoners Now the earth hath no such right by buying nor any Jus emptionis to have rain and influences from the clouds and the sun for the Lord may without violation of any bargain turn the earth into iron and the heavens into brass and so may the Lord simply and absolutely deny the fruits Christs anointing binding up of wounds and freedome to the broken-hearted and to the captives and slaves of sin for any deserving in them yet as touching the bargain and engagement of redemption from sins and the dominion masterdome and law imprisonment thereof the meek and the captives have a more noble right in the surety Christ by way of buying and selling to the healing influences of Christs holy anointing then the world can express See also how the spirit in its fulness is given to Christ Isa 11. 2. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him the spirit of wisedom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Isa 42. 1. I will put my spirit on him he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles These be mighty influences on him to whom said John the Baptist God gave not the spirit by measure John 3. 34. 3. There is a right of promise to influences Rev. 2. 7 17 26. Rev. 3. 12 20 21. John 14. 18 21. John 15. 1 2. In Christ promissio facit legale jus Christ as it were oweth me showers of grace for he promised to water me This promise is a draught of the river of life to the deadned spirit 4. There is a mystical dueness and connatural love-right The head by natures law is a sort of debtor for influences of life to the members Here are sweet grounds for the streams to beg from the fountain the members dry and withering from the living head 2. It was fit there should be another higher providence about the head then about the members and so more admirable and transcendent influences extended toward Christ then toward any of the sons of men as that a new star should be created at his birth That 2. God should give testimony of him from heaven immediately This is my beloved Son c. 3. That Angels immediate messengers from heaven should preach his birth-day and place Luke 2. should minister to him in his agony in the garden should watch the corps of this King sleeping in the grave should witness his ascension and what mighty influences above nature must be in his raising the dead commanding devils c. In his coming down from heaven to be man in whom all the fulness of the Godhead dwells bodily and that the holy body should ascend visibly through the air and through the heavens cleaving yielding and giving way to him what influences in that the clouds are his chariots and that the man Christ intercedes at the right hand of God and sends influences of life all the world over to his members rules all Empires and Kingdomes the languishing and fainting believer is comforted O how suitable is Christs fulness and life to my death and emptiness 3. These must be strong influences that with the anointing Isa 61. 1 2. is given a power to preach the year of vengeance to judge and trample upon the necks of all his enemies that the man Christ shall come visibly and locally from the highest heavens and the heavens bow and yield to his blessed manhood when he comes with his mighty Angels to judge all And he sends 4. influences of judgments through the stars which fight against his enemies Judg. 5. 20. through winds seas and rivers fire and sword and evil Angels that are armed against his enemies Exod. 14. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Exod. 15. 10 11 12. Judg. 5. 21. Gen. 19. 23 24 25. Numb 16. 31 32 33. Psal 78. 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 c. All which teach us not to murmure at providence government of the world Why say we this is sad and yet fallen out God might otherwise have disposed of all and we reflect upon his providence while as we offend at second causes but be comforted in a new world and in a more glorious providence of influences in ruling heaven and earth and in carrying the chosen of God to glory then if all were ruled to our will 1. None shall wither or be blasted that are
Peters temper was weak but when he gave a confession of Christ Matth. 16. he was under a gracious disposition and Peters continuing with Christ in his temptations did suppose a gracious dispoâ—â—tion in these acts of his and the rest of the believing Disciples Luke 22. 29 30. 3. The Lords Disciples are all born again Judas excepted but it were hard to say that John the beloved Disciple was of the same temper before the death of Christ with Peter who proved more sinfully rash in many things then John 2. A disposition is a transient impression that may be left upon the spirit by an occurrence of providence which though it sometime continue long is not necessarily alway so Upon the supposed death of Joseph Jacob refused to be comforted upon the departure of the Ark Phineas daughter in law is disposed to die for sorrow which in a great part was a gracious disposition it s like this great deliverance left a strong impression on Davids spirit and brought out praising of God But to the particular this disposition is a fixedness of resolution to believe pray praise having its rise from this present merciful deliverance it s opposed to the trepidation and doubting of unbelief which made him say elsewhere One day or other I shall perish by the hand of Saul which also saith that this was not ever Davids condition but being deserted of God he was under a contrary disposition but good it were alway to keep the heart under such a fixedness Ah but we are up and down out and in as touching stedfastness and unmoveableness in the work of the Lord the Galatians did run well a while the balasting of saving grace is most necessary it was a sad word 2 Tim. 1. 15. This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia are turned away from me John 6. 66. from that time many 2. of his disciples 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took them to things behind went backward and 4. walked no more with him they left both Christ and the profession of Christ It was a sad suspending of influences when all the Disciples forsooke him and fled Matth. 26. My heart is fixed my heart is fixed The second particular is the doubling of the words In this and in the following words we have divers considerable characters and properties of heavenly dispositions 1. The doubling noteth the heat and fervour of affection in David as that My God my God notes the heat of faith two gripes of faith is better then one so saith the tripling of that prayer O my Father O my Father remove this cup Matth. 26. There is fire in the desire Psalm 57. 1. Be merciful to me O God be merciful to me and twice in this Psalm v. 5. Be thou exalted O God c. and again v. 11. Be thou exalted O God Psalm 46. that is doubled the Lord of hosts is with us v. 7 11. for his mercy endureth for ever is repeated twenty six times in one Psalm 1. In sinners in Christ it could not be it notes a sort of distrusting of the Spirit they will not believe the heart at the first word Not unto us O Lord that is not enough the heart is ready to steal the Lord's glory therefore he addeth not unto us but unto thy name give the glory therefore the doubling of it speaks the certainty Gen. 41. 32. 2. It notes that we are to make an eik to our assurance my heart is fixed O God therefore two witnesses are better then one he says it over again my heart is fixed for we shall deny that any such heavenly disposition was in the hour of temptation and say all is but false work in so doing he blows the coal when he finds it smoaking and blows twice and strikes the iron again and again when he finds it hot So he awakes up tongue and voice musick and harp gift and grace to praise the Lord as when he finds his heart in a praising disposition he desires an eik of all creatures in heaven and earth Psalm 103. all the Angels all his hosts all his works in all places of his dominion to joyne with his soule to blesse the Lord v. 20 21 22. 3. It notes a fiercenesse and a strong flaming of the affection and a sort of violence of assenting to the influences of grace which brought on that holy disposition which teacheth us when holy dispositions offer a divine violence to the soul to joyn our violence to his violence we will run that is our violence Draw me that is his violence Psalm 119. 32. I will run the way of thy commandments and press my self to willing and hot obedience if thou shall or when thou shall enlarge my heart 2. To this purpose we are to meet his actings of love Cant. 1. 4. The King brought me into his chambers with extolling and praising his love we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine the upright love thee 3. Let us intend and enlarge the acting of our heart to him Christ puts in his hand by the hole of the door which was a strong inward stirring of the Spirit of Jesus and the Spouse meets this with bended and mighty acts of loving obedience As 1. My bowels were moved for him For whom for him my Beloved who did stand and knock while his head was full of dew and his locks wet with the drops of the night v. 2. 2. I rose up to open to my Beloved and my hands dropped with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock Here are both repentance in rising to open whereas she excused and shifted the business before and sense of the savouriness and heavenly feeling as of a sweet smell of myrrh joy sense of joy and delight in obedience to him 4. There is a formal holy violence offered to him the Angel Christ wrestles with Jacob which is a sort of fighting and opposing his strength to Jacobs strength and he opposeth trying and tempting reason to Jacob Let me go for its dawning and Jacob opposeth his violence on the contrary I will not let thee go until thou bless me And the Beloved is wrestling to win away after long absence and much painful seeking Cant. 3. 1 2 3. but the Spouse offers violence on the contrary with all her strength I held him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mothers house and unto the chambers of her that conceived me 5. Its sit to meet a thirst of the Lords Spirit in a flowing of feeling with a thirst of faith when Christ saith to Thomas John 20. 27. Reach hither thy finger and behold my hand and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side this was a great condescension of Christ in bestowing on him a flowing of feeling and Thomas answers it with a strong act of the application of faith My Lord and my God 6. When
I say not inherently or personally for Christ's satisfaction is not a meer dying nor meer suffering for beasts may die and suffer much But such a dying and such a suffering for 1. Christ's dying and satisfying hath an excellency from the subject God-man who dyed Act. 20. 28. 2. It hath an excellent qualification from the patience submission willingness of God-man the like wherof could be in no simple Man in no Angel in no Creature for the personal influence of God was in him his obedience As for the damned in Hell their satisfaction is of another nature different from Christ's is only satispassion and pure torment not holy willing suffering as the Law requires sinless sufferings as contradistinguished from active obedience How be it the Law moral doth require patient and submissive suffering without dispairing or blaspheming in any reasonable Creature for the holy Law cannot but condemn sin and blasphemy adhering either to our acting or suffering Nor 6. Let it be said to the undervaluing of the righteousness of God through faith that inherent righteousness is the full end of Christ's bloud when in the state of glory there shal be no more pardoning of sin but perfect inherent holiness For 1. that inherent holiness in the estate of glory is not perfect legal holiness nor the formal cause of our justification in glory because all the glorified once sinned and so for eternity are such as have violated the Law 2. Our righteousness from the time forward shall not only be inherent for the righteousness of God is an everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. and how that robe of Christ's surety-righteousness shall in the state of glory be laid by as an old useless garment and the robe of inherent righteousness in lieu of it put on for ever The Scripture does not speak What men without Scripture speak we care not 3. Nor is our inherent righteousness only either the adequate end of Christ's bloud or of faith and labours as if God intended as his only end to make us eternally Law-righteous whereas he shall eternally delight in us and lead us in glory as those that are freely redeemed in the bloud of the Lamb for the Lamb shall be the everlasting righteousness of all crowned with glory Rev. 4. 8 9 10. Rev. 5. 11 12 13. Rev. 7. 14 15 16. 3. Soveraignty challengeth submission to the will of God in doing and in suffering because it is his obliging will we fail not a little in the former when we pray because the Mast of the Ship is broken and death is at the bedside and we hear the Word because it is the fashion and abstain from fornication and from other works of darkness and put on a sort of holiness not because it is the will of God even our sanctification as for eating drinking sleeping waking they are spiritually minded who doe not these things for nature and lust but as wel-pleasing to the Lord and find a convincing and perswading reason in the holy commanding will of the Soveraign Lord why they ought to be done upon a spiritual account and the other is no less spiritual for many are sick and die many are poor and persecuted for weldoing because they cannot chuse but so it must be not because as Peter saith 1 Pet. 3 17. So is the well of God in a spiritual account to them for when holy Soveraignty hath laid on the necessity of dying of sickness and pain and a gracious spirit shall close with that this is spiritual patience 4. Because the Lord hath a dominion over second causes and as it were a strong lock upon all Creatures to open and sâ—ut at his pleasure and he puts a seal upon Sun and Stars Job 9. 7 8 9. that they cease and shine or shine not or go down we are to put our Amen and Seal to Soveraignties decrees I rise early and there is no bread ah Lord I lay in a soft bed and there is no sleep in the night but pain Say Amen Lord the Fig-tree blossoms not this year yet I will rejoyce in the Lord Hab. 3. 16 17. Soveraignty hath so appointed there is nothing but rolling of garments in bloud and captivity and spoils yet pray thy will be done in the Earth as it is done in the Heaven CHAP. VIII Divers Particulars in which Soveraignty appears 1. SOveraignty and the glorious liberty of God appears in 1. His Decrees 2. The Works of God especially 1. Of Creation 2. Of common Providence 3. Works of more special Providence 1. Works of Justice 2. Works of Free-grace The Soveraignty of his Decrees is 1. In these two solemn and celebrious Decrees of Election and Reprobation He loved Jacob and hated Esau before ever the children had done good or evil Rom. 9. this is a humbling thought to clay graciously disposed which dare not contradict the Soveraign potter The Lord might have appointed my chair before the Throne and my eternal crown to Judas and to Pharaoh and the same Lord might so have ordered as the furnace of the traitor Judas in Hell should have been my furnace in Hell 2. O what depth of love did the King chuse me or did he once name my name and write me for life eternal This is a hardning thought in the fallen Angels and reprobate men that they strive against and hate the providence permitting their fall and sin but doe neither strive against nor hate their permitted fall and sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why doth he yet notwithstanding of his irresistible Decree find fault with our sin why doth he not blame his own Decree who hath resisted his will a graceless soul will flee upon eternal Decrees and Events that belong to God but is never humbled for sin and remission of duties The gracious soul is much upon these thoughts O the freedome of the eternal emanations of free grace and the depth of the outgoings of Soveraign justice and does mournfully complain of its own sinful actings Psal 51. 1 2 3 4 5. we are to say Amen to his way Soveraignty is not our Rule clay is not to watch over the Lord's acts of holy Soveraignty but in point of submitting to the opened and revealed Decrees but is to eye the rule watch over the heart in point of duties 2. All things to be and never to be are written in his book Psal 139. 16. the number of David's members all the hairs of the head are numbred Matth. 10. 30. all the piles of dust and sand all the drops of dew rain hail snow all the drops of the sea rivers lakes fountains of the Earth Isa 40. 12. Pro. 30. 4. all the ounces and dram weights of the hills and mountains are exactly weighed as in ballances and numbred by holy Soveraignty all the blasts of wind gathered in his fists Prov. 30. 4. he knows how many inches and spans are in the Earth from East to West and in the compass and circle of
letter which is common to Seneca and other humane Writers and the Prophets though even the style liveliness majesty and divinity that may be seen in the letter of the Scripture are eminently above the like in other Writers The Spirit immediately inspiring and the Spirit quickning in the Word are both the same Spirit that Christ promised to send John 16. of which Christ ver 14. He shall glorifie me he shall receive of mine a word most mysterious and shall shew it unto you and believers are afraid that their hearts receive some other quickning between the sound of the Word and the actings of the Lord upon their hearts which causeth them to pray for no quickning but according to the Word The like may 3. be said of the salvation of the Lord Psal 91. 16. I will shew him my salvation Isa 12. 2. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song he also is become my salvation Psal 119. 170. Let my supplication come before thee deliver me according to thy word for we are apt to seek strange and whorish influences the like whereof the Lord bestows not upon his people Psal 119. 132. Look thou upon me and be merciful unto me as thou uses to doe to those that love thy name Psal 106. 4. Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest to thy people O visit me with thy salvation V. 5. That I may see the good of thy chosen that I may rejoyce in the gladness of thy Nation that I may glory with thine inheritance It s cold comfort we reap without the word its true his omnipotency was eternal before there was a Word or Promise made to us but now the Lord will have the Word or Promise to be the officina the work-house of his Spirit and of the quickning influences thereof 5. As also there is a salvation and escape out of prison by keys of our own making and by putting out the hand to iniquity Psal 125. and the heart is much for the bulk of a deliverance from Hell and for the body and lump of a mercy were it Heaven and Baalam's paradise or the end of the righteous whether it be purchased by the ransome of Christ's bloud or no and faith laying hold thereon or no. 6. And we love to have the remission and the righteousness of Christ in his bloud the separated from holiness and sanctification but the Scripture conjoyneth them 1 Cor. 1. 30. Gal. 1. 4. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Heb. 10. 10. Heb. 13. 12 13. 1 Pet. 2. 24. yea is a holy justification to speak so is the cleanly kindly sure absolution of the sinner for Christ loves noâ— and washes not in his bloud but such as he makes Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1. 5. in so saying I honour good works more then Mr. Baxter doth who makes them as good as Christ's bloud even the price of pardon Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 14. Yea and 7. We could be satisfied with dumb and scrupulous influences and inspirations contrary unto and separated from the Word as Evah Gen. 3. 4 5 6. 1 Kings 13. 18. Matth. 4. 3 6 8 9. 8. What could the powerful influences of God Creator separated from Christ the treasure-house of love and mercy doe to us and if Omnipotency were separated from the promises of the Gospel could it save us in the Lord's way through the bloud of Christ for power in God cannot to speak so save men but by the Name of Jesus Christ the only saving Name under Heaven Acts 4. 12. nor can Omnipotency work a redemption now in this Gospel-dispensation but that which is by bloud Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 13. And that which is to declare the righteousness of God for the remission of sins Power acts by way of compleat satisfaction as the exceeding greatness of God's power to us-ward who believe is of the same size with the mighty power which raised Christ from the dead and set him on the right-hand of God in heavenly places Ephes 1. 14 20. The power of translating a sinner from Satans Kingdome to the Kingdom of the Son of his love works as acted as it were and set on work to act righteously to translate no man but the person for whom a ransome of bloud is given to justice as the Princes right power is only for the good of free and legal subjects Col. 1. 11 12 13. and that all power in Heaven and Earth to save Matth. 28. 18. John 17. 2. Matth. 11. 27. and that Kingly and Royal power to give repetance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Acts 5. 31. to forgive sins Matth. 9. 6. to raise and quicken the dead John 5. 26 28 29. is a power in a way purchased by the bloud of attonement Rom. 14. 9. For to this end Christ both dyed and rose that he might be Lord both of the dead and living And by the way it s a righteous power over all flesh and in Heaven and Earth though he died not for all flesh and for all the Angels in Heaven and all the men on Earth it were strange to say Christ died for the reprobate and not for their sins and final unbelief and rejecting of Christ to obtain a power to pardon some of their sins and not all and to give them repentance from some dead works and not from all dead works and to purge them from some but not from all their sins 3. It s most unjust to lay the blame of our sinful omissions upon holy Soveraignty because he withdraws influences For 1. That is to reproach God this is like the malecontentedness of Satan and of Hell for the damned complain that ever they were born and that they cannot be annihilated and that hils and mountains cover them not quick in soul and body yea they storm and rage because God gives them a being capable of eternal woe 2. The wakened consciences of men out of Christ often fall upon this recrimination the gnawing of conscience of Judas is I have sinned and of the young man Prov. 5. 12. How have I hated instruction and my heart dispised reproof Yet it is a more commendable complaining and more hopeful to complain of sinful neglect of means then of divine permissive providence of sin upon the Lord 's withdrawing of gracious influences but conscience in its kindly acting is the tormenting worm that eats self No Divel alledges this its true Satan bites at providence God hedges about a hypocrite Job and God commends him says he Christ torments us before the time Satan trembles and frets at the existence of God and that God is above him Joh 1. 9 10. Matth. 8. 29. Jam. 2. 19. and so all his words to Christ speak a barking at providence Matth. 4. its wrong that the Son of God should want bread it is an useless providence that the man Christ go down stairs for God saith he should save him though he throw himself down headlong Satan is a better
parts I should doe more for God but more of nature you have and what doe you Is it not thus had I the wings of an Eagle I would flie But these wings you have and you lie and you creep you doe but slumber and sleep in the ways of God you flie not 3. Why is not this said Had I more corruption as it is easie to gain here and doe evil and wax worse and worse I should run with Divels and Reprobate men from evil to worse for this is a truth had I the acquired blinded mind of Pharaoh and trayterous heart of Judas I should be worse then they If it be said there is not the like reason between nature and grace for one habit of saving grace helps to make the will stronger and more bent to gracious actings then gifts or common parts or natural parts Ans It is true the habit of saving grace makes the soul readier to act savingly for God Saving grace doth more strongly effect the will in an habitual way for gracious acts But no habit either of grace or nature can actuate it self and therefore it is presumption in a way of relying on the habit of grace to promise much to our selves 8. Had I extraordinary helps of a teacher sent from Hell I would believe Ans 1. We believe not the word spoken by Angels the Law nor the word spoken by the Lord Heb. 2. 3. and Heb. 12. 25. For if they escaped not who refused him who spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him who speaketh from Heaven Christ came from Heaven and out of the bosome of the Father and hath preached Heaven and Hell to us for he had experience of wrath answerable to the pain of Hell 2. This is no other shift then that of the rich man in the Parable Luk. 16. 30. Nay father Abraham if one went to them from the dead they will repent Now repentance flows not from the Preachers experience though he had seen and felt the pains of Hell or the joys of Heaven nor doth the experience of Heaven's joy or Hell's torment heal the broken and wounded will and the rich man's divinity hath been the same with Pelagians way that if the word be feelingly and dexterously proposed it can waken up the sleeping free will and repentance is a work of nature if the fire be dexterously blown upon it will certainly flame and all depends upon the running and willing of his five brethren Now common grace free will and natural ability at best is but a potency the actual stirring of saving grace must extract and to speak so milk out of the very saving habit acts of sound believing and repenting or then the will and the habit must lie dead far more is this true in natural powers and common graces Now in all this our Saviour answers well the whole doubt he that is not faithful in little can he be faithful in much Luke 16. 11. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches Verse 12. And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your own Our Saviour reasons most strongly Joh. 3. 12. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things He that is not able to bear a burden of the weight of one pound would he bear a burden of a thousand talents So he If the Lord had given me ten talents I should have equalled David or Paul or the beloved disciple John in grace and holiness Now ye have not improved two talents but digged them in the Earth For it is not here as in earthly things mow a Meadow twelve times in one year and after thrice mowing ye shall have but little take continually away from a deep fountain and draw water from it night and day at length it shall be ebb or dry but act and improve the habit of grace and the more it shall grow and encrease And its certain grace can waken up sleeping free will but free will cannot stir up grace death cannot make use of life but life can work upon deadness The next answer to this had I grace or more grace I should be as holy as David it s a blowing up of nature and a dethroning of Christ For this I when you say I should be holy as David is not that gracious I of which Paul Gal. 2. 20. I live not but Christ lives in me but its I and self divided from self and grace but woe to the will separated from Christ woe to the branch cut off from the green and flourishing tree its good for nothing but the fire woe to the arm sawen off the living body and by this as one saith well If God would give the power you would of your self add the will this is the Pelagian heresie Let God but make a stirring and a blowing and give a sort of will I could doe wonders as if it were not the Lord who works in us both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. yea it lays little upon God's calling for he calleth Cain and Judas and much yea the All of our salvation on our Answering Christ knocks by word of mouth and I and self free-will opens the heart of Lydia which debaseth Christ and powerfull grace In all which consider had you the influences of grace at your disposing 1. Then might free will bar the Iron door against sin that sin of Angels and men without free wills good leave should never enter the world And the Creature should be more Master and Lord Governour over providence then the Soveraign Lord himself then could the Lord erect no theatre nor set a Chair of free-grace to the Mediator and Lord of grace Jesus Christ while first he took Counsel with created free will and say O creature may I have thy good leave to send my Son to the world and the disease must be consulted shall there be such a precious one as the Physician the healer of sinners It s true no sinner no Saviour no lost one no Redeemer such as our Emanuel but it s known if influences of grace be as Pelagianizing universalists say at the disposing of nature with that absolute indifferency the free creature may stand or may fall let the Al-governing Lord doe his best to the contrary there is here a created Soveraign dominion If God create the creature free it involves a contradiction that God should be free to hold out or bring in sin and hell and misery and God is indifferent except man must irrevocably perish to send his Son in the flesh to saue finners and such a providence might have been if mans free will had so been pleased to dispose of its own free acts and of the influences of God there should for ever
have been no Saviour no Emanuel no declared free grace no gracious design in God to open experimentally to Men and Angels the wonder of Christ and free grace but that must come upon the Soveraign Lord by some bide-by design of nature and created free will 3. Were influences at our disposal we might make our prayers only to our own free will who only can by this way hear and help but we pray to God only for quickning determining leading and stirring up influences and for effectual teaching and influences are in a good hand when the matter is so 4. The unregenerate as in Shepherd's select Cases page 96. pag. 102. are not within the compass of any conditional promise though in Baxter's Append. to Aphor. to Obj. 10. 11. p. 28. he puts a note of censure on it for if the new heart were in the power of Cain and Judas and this were holden forth to all and every one of mankind run well and win the crown of conversion and of the life of grace and of glory For 1. You have sufficient grace to win it 2. You have the influences of grace at your own disposal and power be you Brasilian Indian or what else Then were all men made independent Lords of salvation and damnation and of the holy and deep decrees of Election and Reprobation And if so there were not such a thing as a decree of Reprobation but as a sort of over-birth and a decree of some after-wit in the holy Majesty of God after he were disappointed of his former Gospel-decree of choosing all to glory who wisely yea out of his manifold wisedom willed and decreed all to be saved so they would use the universal power and the influences of grace well as they might and could but unto what God should such make their prayers whether to God the Father of our Lord Jesus or to themselves I cannot divine 5. If so be influences be at mans disposal could he kisse the Mediator stoop to free grace and adore it praise and sing his glory who sits upon the Throne and commend the Lamb who redeemed sinners out from among lost sinners 6. In reason we can no more time and dispose of the measure manner and kind of our own comforts and of the kind and measure of the Lord's influences then the Earth can dispose of the quantity of rain and dew and herbs corn or growing trees can determine of the influences of the Sun Moon and Heavens The third Classe of Answers to the Lord 's restrained way of giving of grace and to him who says Had I more grace I should be more holy must be taken from the holy attributes of God for this quarrel why would not the Lord make me holier and let out richer influences of grace is a reproaching of his Soveraignty He makes not all the lumps of the great masse of clay vessels of honour that is true Nor have they all alike nearness to the Throne of glory or the like measure of glory that are in Heaven nor alike measure of gifts all are not Apostles nor alike measure of grace and holiness nor are they all equally poor or equally rich or equally wise and learned or equally believing in the same measure of assurance the same measure of joy For when Paul disputes thus he hath mercy on whom he will and hardens whom he will it comes to this Why doth he then find fault it is not in him that runs and wills if the Lord would effectually call us Jews we should run and will and obey as vigorously as the Gentiles doe But the Lord doth not so call us therefore he cannot rebuke us or find fault with us that we believe not and receive not the Messiah and the righteousnesse of God through faith which is the very Objection in hand 2. As the Objection is against the Soveraignty of God so it is against the infinite wisedom of God Why should the infinitely wise Lord knowing if Judas and all the disobedient refusers of Christ had the same grace and influences of grace bestowed upon them which he freely bestowed on his own they would have obeyed deny that grace and these influences he knowingly denies them After the Apostle in three Chapters hath discussed this Rom. 11. 33. he acknowledges there is a deep in it O the depth of the riches both of the wisedom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out No wonder it be a depth to me but there is no more deep in it if all have universal sufficient grace and if all have the influences of grace in their power then this is no depth He that believes shall be saved he that believes not shall be condemned and God rewards those who seek him I deny not there is a depth in all God's ways in the industry of a Pismire of a Coney of a Locust yea how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child But because the Apostle having discoursed of Election and Reprobation and of the Righteousness of Faith and of the Law Rom. cap. 9. c. 10. and of the casting off the Jews for a time and the incomming of the Gentiles Rom. 11. and then concludes ver 33. O the depth both of the riches and knowledge of God c. there must be another sort of profundity in the words to humane reason then that wisedom of God shining in the works of Creation and providence Rom. 1. 19 20. Psal 92. 5 6 7. Psal 107. 43. Psal 58. 10 11 c. Now the Doctors of universal grace and such as submit election and reprobation obedience to the call of God and disobedience and all the influences of grace to the determination of free will arise no higher then the depths of mans willing and nilling As also the Objector in this saith God might have more honour and service of me if so it had pleased him and what is this but God would be wiser should he bestow grace and the influences of grace on me and all mankind for even such Arminians who cannot deny but God foresees what motions and influences shall prevail with free will what not are burthened with this doubt as we are if mans carnal wisedom be judge 3. This is a complaining against the free grace of God there is a sort of grace of Creation and a Comet or a Star is here left to complain why made not the Lord me a shining Sun and the Thistle must challenge God why made he not me a Fig-tree or a Vine-tree are not here beggars at the Lord's door boasting the Lord because they get not an Almes of begged and borrowed being after their own carnal will So here what ebness of grace was this that the Lord would not bestow the same influences of grace on Beelzebub the prince of divels before he fell as upon the Angel Gabriel and the Seraphims who flie with wings to doe his will and cover
leave their name in the earth for a curse Be not satisfied while the wind breaths out of the right air even from a life of Christ and from the head Christ Christ lives in me Gal. 2. and the actual influences of grace from above are suitable having Christ living in you Christ shall furnish wind and sweet breathings of the Spirit to his own life it 's a cursed case of conscience when the man hath peace and so much quietness as to be satisfied with and to thank God for his formal fasting and paying of his debts to all Luke 18. 11. and such counterfeit influences please him all his life 2. How doe they undervalue Christ and his blood who father all influences of praying and seeking of God upon their own industry and nature in this the mouth may kisse the hand we kisse not the Son It speaks grace when every sincere sigh and every good word and thought is referred to the price and ransome of blood when the soule is at this O I would kiss Jesus Christ for this loosing and melting of heart and I am the endeared debtor of Jesus Christ for this lively breathing upon the heart This keeps from murmuring and fretting at other times when the man weeps over his deadness ah it 's saith the complainer long since I saw him 2. The differences betwixt the habit of grace and other habits of arts and sciences would be considered 1. In the rise industry and free-wills trading may purchase the habits of sciences and arts this is infused from heaven I will pour water on the thirsty ground saith the Lord for mine own sake do I this Isa 44. Ezek. 36. 32. This habit is indeed Christs trading and the fruit of the travel of his soul and stands Christ at a high price 2. Other habits may be forgotten and lost this is a part of the believers stock of Christs buying and so in Christs keeping Christ keeps his own purchase from wasting in shipwrack It 's the immortal seed the well that springs up to life eternal John 4. 14. the remaining anointing 1 John 2. 20. the imbiding seed of God 1 John 3. 9. 3. The lesse excellent the habit is the more it is under the dominion of free-wil the Musician may sing when he will he needs no influences of grace to stir up his habit the natural man from himself may blow upon the natural habits of arts and sciences and the remanents of the image of God and he may do much from common honesty but the more excellent and spiritual the infused habit is the further it is from being under the dominion of free-will only the North and South-wind of the Spirit can act upon this habit supernatural nor can we pray simply at the nod and stirring of free-will only the Spirit of Jesus is steeres-man here and this is to be holden that the Spirit so withdrawes as we are guilty consenters to his withdrawing and in the sinful omission of calling upon the Lord and when the Spirit acts upon the free-will and the habit of grace we are willing consenters to that blessed breathing and willing joyners in the work of praying and some commendation and praise the holy Ghost gives to his Saints in all holy actings Num. 14. 24. Gen. 22. 16. Gen. 32. 28. Num. 12. 7. Rev. 2. 3 13 19. Rev. 2. 4 8 9 10. So we are 1. not to engage in the strength of free-will and let us know thus much that when resolutions of relying upon the grace of Christ are taking and we say this we shall do by the grace of Christ we but use the name of grace but there is within 1. A fixedness of relying on nature and we follow not our resolution with prayer as David Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and will perform that I will keep thy righteous judgments He seconds his vow with prayer v. 108. Accept I beseech thee the free-will offering of my mouth O Lord and teach me thy judgments In praying for any mercy as for grace to keep the way of God which we have vowed to keep we are to interpose Christ as Surety for the performing of the vow 2. There is not godly fear and trembling in distrusting our selves David after the Lord makes a covenant with him and David by the Lords grace had accepted and engaged to stand to it he casts himself down to the dust 2 Sam. 7. 18. Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto If we did but consider how cozening and unstable as water our hearts are we should fear our own bentness to backsliding when we so vow It speaks honest ingenuity after a man hath borrowed money and given word and writ to pay it when he is anxious how to answer the day and be acquit of the debt 3. Faith should rely upon the promise of God for influences of grace and look away from nature and cease from the breathings of free-will especially since they are involved in the promises of perseverance and in the promises of the covenant Isa 54. 10. Isa 59. 21. Jer. 31. 35. Ezek. 36. 27. For among men he who engageth for a good harvest doth also engage to labour to harrow and sow He that covenants to bring home to a Prince a ships loading of gold from India he must also engage to prepare a ship and sea-men and provision for them and to set out to the Sea for sailing and to take the opportunity of the winds Now since the Lord hath promised to bring many children to glory this puts on Christ a sort of engagement especially if we add to this the trust that the Father hath put on him John 17. 2. chap. 6. 37. to work in them to will and to doe and when they fall to raise them again and as faith relies upon the promise of glory so is faith to rely upon Christ for grace and influences and new breathings of the Spirit without which perseverance promised even undeclinable attaining to glory is impossible 3. The stronger and the more intense the habit is the more connatural and kindly and the more signal bended and strong are the acts that flow from the habit 1. Rain and sweet showres poured upon the dry ground make the growing the more easie and connatural and when a strong habit of the love of Christ stronger then death and the grave which many waters cannot quench was fixed and rooted in the heart of the Martyrs the acts of suffering even the torments of the rack of burning quick of the teeth of wild beasts of exquisite and long-enduring tortures were exceeding both easie and rejoycing and refreshing to themselves and others and they had answerable strong acts of influences and a mighty presence of God as the three children have the fourth man the Son of man walking in the fiery oven with them Daniel hath the increated Angel to stop the mouths of the lyons and there must have
to praise to submit to God to adore to walk humbly to walk circumspectly and tenderly and such like but most of them may be reduced to these NOw to speak of the burning of the heart the place Luke 24. 32. is clear The two disciples having parted with Christ now risen from the dead and not knowing him to be Christ 32. they say one to another Did not our hearts burn within us when he spake to us in the way and opened to us the Scriptures In which words the nature of heavenly heart-burning in the causes and properties thereof is laid open and the differences between the heat natural from natural influences from the lively heat spiritual In the words these particulars are to be observed 1. When the heat is gone and past 1. they perceive it they said one to another when he is gone our heart did burn in the past or preterite time 2. They accuse their own stupidity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did not our heart burn were we sleeping when he burnt us 3. The Author speaking Christ while he spake to us in the way 4. The fewel that made the fire and the burning coals the Scripture opened by Christ 5. The object of the burning or the subject recipient our heart was burning as an oven or a furnace They said one to another The coal of fire which Christ cast into the heart and is now smoaking among the fire-wood and on the heart leaves two things behind it 1. Telling of their experiences one to another 2. The feeling and perceiving of the heavenly heart-burning better when it 's gone then when it was on Then the heart-working of Christ will leave histories behind it as what is much of Solomons Song but a Narration of the daughters and virgins one to another of Christs actings upon the soul or a chronicle of Christs love and the Spouses sin as 1. Of Christs dispensation in withdrawing Cant. 3. I sought him but I found him not Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved and my beloved had withdrawn himself 2. She tells his saving actings upon the soule be like to the virgins Cant. 1. 4. The King hath brought me unto his chambers Cant. 2. 4. He brought me into his banquetting-house and love was his banner over me 3. She tells over songs of Christs loveliness and excellency Cant. 5. 10 11 12. of the savouriness of his name of the memory of his love Cant. 1. 3 4. of the seat and room that Christ hath in her heart and betwixt her breasts Cant. 1. 13. all the night 4. She tells of her carnal drowsiness of her sinful refusing to open and let in Christ to the heart So does Jeremiah tell a sad experience of his own he had quit the prophecying trade and would speak no more in the name of the Lord and he was burnt with a fire in his breast he could not get the word housed in his heart but it did come abroad This shall be the first difference betwixt spiritual heart-burnings and the influences that the Spirit leaves and the natural heat The literal burning leaves no work upon the heart nor any impression of heavenly experiences Jehu his heat against Achab and Baal left no impression of God on him to hate the golden calves or the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin He did cleave to that way 2 Kings 10. 28 30. Let fiery professors shew any influence of a gratious work in the heart the flaming of thorns under a pot and the flashes of heat from burning straw leave no fire but ashes and much cold behind them in the cold winter frost and the generality of dead professors can say nothing to one another but I have long heard the Gospel and yet am without God and without Christ 2. I am convinced of the excellence of Christ and there yet is no fire or coal of heart-love to Christ in me and it were good such a missing there were 2. Did not our hearts burn This is convinced to be a disposition spiritual rather then a habit it s a burning of heart while Christ speakes that had a cooling before though they were believing Disciples But here observe they feel not so the burning of heart in the mean time as afterward when v. 31. Christ was vanished out of their sight and gone now they take special notice in a feeling way of the warmness of heart they felt while he opened the Scriptures to them The Lord preaches in a ladder reaching from earth to heaven Jacob sleeps and can give no judgement in the mean time but Gen. 28. 16. when the sweet vision and preaching is eâ—ded Jacob awaked out of his sleep and he said Surely the Lord was in this place and I knew not A strong impression of the presence and glory of God sometimes comes on after the Lord is away David desires and thirsts Psalm 63. 2. saith he in the wilderness of Judah that I may see thy power and thy glory as I have seen thee The enjoying of Zion and Zions songs while the people is at home in their own land hath not such influence on their spirit as when the Sancturies glory is removed then Psalm 137. 1. By the rivers of Babel there we sate down yea we wept when we remembred Zion While one is in a fever they may be ignorant that they are in a fever but when the cooling of health comes then he well remembers he was sick of a fever When there is a fever of glory on Peter he speaks he knows not what Mark 9. 6. yet after 2 Pet. 1. 16 17. he makes sweet comfortable use of that glory of Christ on the mount when the Lord waters the sown seed and sends down new influences of grace then doth it appear what warming hath been in the soul this is a second difference betwixt literal heat and spiritual burning of heart literal heat hath most sense when it is a dowing there are no spiritual reflexions upon that burning when it is gone and over except the Lord give repentance and that is accidental to all sinful fairds and flaming of the flesh or of a moral gift it dies with its flaming as fired powder that endures not long whereas its useful to call to mind the gracious burnings of heart yea or any of the Lords ancient paths according to that Psalm 119. 52. I remembred thy judgement of old and have comforted my self and its good to receive and lay up influences of heart warmings of Christ Isa 42. 23. Who among you will â—ear this who will hearken and hear for the time to come Did not our hearts burn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The godly reprove their not knowing and not discerning of Christ in his heart flamings of love godly and spiritual sense â—â—lengeth self-dulness Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beâ—â—ved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone This is a sense of Christs withdrawing
with a challenge of her refusing to open Ah! why did I not opâ—n while he did â—ovingly 〈…〉 knock and lovingly speak Open 〈…〉 my â—â—ster my love c. sense of Christ with chalâ—â—â—â—â—d good 〈◊〉 with tears for 〈◊〉 in the woman thâ—◠〈…〉 his feet with tears sense with faith going along 〈…〉 is commendable it s a spiritual case 〈…〉 up our recâ—nnings what we have profited spiritually by the heart-â—â—â—ingâ— wrought by Christ and this is a third diffrence The moral and 〈◊〉 man 〈◊〉 so â—â—prove his hear as to call himself to a reckoning nor 〈…〉 say wheâ— neere am I to God for my stirring 〈◊〉 reforming religion its kindly life-heat that makes the man more lively and vigorous While he spake The third particular who works burning of heart in these men speaking Jesus Christ when Christ takes the bellows and the fan and stirs up the fire it must needâ— burn boldly and when Christ casts in a coal in the soul it must make heart-flamings John 4. I am he that speaks to thee that made a fire in the womans heart then she leaves well and water-pot and runs to the City So Matth. 9. 9. Matth. 4. 20 21 22. with a word he kindles a fire in the brests of fisher-men who knew nothing of him before and hath an inward work upon the heart Cant. 5. He put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him that was fire in the bowels and what did Christ here but speak words and this is the fourth difference with little pain but a word speaking he makes a fire There is a huge deal of violence in Esaus running sweating hunting Jacob stirred not after works but staid at home and believed and faith made him blessed the spirit drives not but by the words leading and perswading But is there no violence in the natural and literal heat Yea for Bâ—als priests to cut and bleed themselves with knives and cry till noon and to shout to a deaf God must have in it much violence and it s a very unnatural fire and its a most unnatural wild-fire heat to slay their young children to Molech A man who forces a sigh when a sigh forces not him is a sufferer but what violence is in the constraining Gospel-promise what compulsion is there in love or love-sickness when Christ makes love a key that opens all doors how strongly and how sweetly doth the word of promise carried on by the spirit of Christ force thy soul there is a huge deal of force and violence in fairâ—heed sickness as when a man makes and counterfeits distraction and madness and runs naked While he opened the Scriptures The fourth particular is the fewel that makes the fire the Scriptures opened and opened by Christs key Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord Jer. 23. 15. Yea in Christs baptizing there is fire John baptizeth with water and no more as a cold and watry seal but Christ Matth. â— 11. batizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire The word of prophesie was in Jeremiahs bowels as a fire shut up and this is the fift difference betwixt the literal and spiritual heat the heavenly heart-burning goes along with the Scriptures 2. With the Scriptures so opened and applied by the spirit of Jesus as by a strong power burning coals are cast into the heart As touching the former the difference betwixt this and the Libertines spirit or the Enthusiasts are to be observed and the spirit of the children of God 1. Christs spirit extols the Scriptures It is written saith Christ against Satan Have ye not read in the Scriptures saith Christ against the Sadduces Matth. 22. Search the Scriptures saith Christ they bear witness of me He taught the multitude and disciples as it s written in the Scriptures He rebukes them Luke 24. v. 25. as fools and slow of heart for not believing the Scriptures When he would carry in real influences of grace to the heart he carries them along by the Scripture and opens the understanding that they may understand the Scripture Luke 24. 45. that is the spirit of Satan in some who boast that they are beyond and above the word of the Kingdom and such must be beyond and on the other side of heaven 2. They who wait for the Lord and whose soul waits for God they hope in his word Psalm 130. 5 6. Libertines souls cannot wait for the Lord as the watch for the morning 3. It s a work of the spirit strongly to convince the conscience of not believing in Christ John 16. 7 8. now to believe in him is the sum of the Scriptures of the Gospel Enthusiasts extol perswasions by raptures according to which the brother killeth the brother as Bullinger relates in place of the Scripture-convictions of the spirit 4. The work of the spirit is to comfort for its the spirits office and the sound comfort is patience and comfort of the Scriptures bringing hope Rom. 15. 4. The spirit of Enthusiasts perswades men of peace and comfort without and beside the promises of the Gospel 5. The words of the book of the Law melt the heart of godly Josiah 2 Kings 19. 22. and the Lord looks to him that trembles at his word to dwell with him Isa 66. 2. The Enthusiasts boldly mock the word as an instrument of carnal and fleshly regeneration and seek a new birth from a spirit alone separated from the word 6. Deep humiliation is wrought by the word 2 Kings 22. 14. the pride of Satan reigns in the spirits of Enthusiasts who despise Scripture humility and reproach tears and the work of repentance as a work of the Law and the flesh 7. Strong and couragious fighting even to overcoming gets for a reward the hid manna the white stone and the new name written thereon which no man can read but he that receives it now fighting and overcoming is by the word of the spirit Rev. 2. 17. Eph. 6. 17. and faith in the word 1 John 5. 4. Enthusiasts tell us of a dumb and Scriptureless perswasion by which men are perswaded they are chosen to salvation and can know others by the face that are so chosen 8. The true spirit leads unto all truth John 16. 13 and opens the true sense of the Scriptures and leads no man by a new wild-fire light nor doth the spirit of God sway and determin a topick conjectural way while there is a speculative doubting as touching any light from Scripture whether the course be lawful or warranted by the word or not for the spirit of God leads by Scriptures infallibility Isa 59. 20 21. 9. The actings of the true spirit are gentle civil human and he bids us follow whatsoever is of good report whatsoever things are pure Phil. 4. 8 9. The spirit of Enthusiasts leaving Scripture licences men to abominations which Heathens abhor 10. The actings of the spirit of Christ are seasonable Matth. 10. 19.
the wound green the tender hand of Christ lovingly and compassionately binds up such broken ones Isa 61. 1. Psal 147. 3. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds and bones easily know their own place of bones when his hand puts them in place 4. Iron is the strongest and hardest of mettals yet being hot in the furnace receiveth any impression or figure and bones yield to the smiting of the hammer which it doth not when it 's cold and stiff when the cross hath graciously melted and softened the soul then it receives influences of grace and is ready to receive as Saul Act. 9. 6. trembling and aâ—tonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe The proud self arrogant spirit will not receive nor lodge impressions of grace from heaven be not then high-minded but fear otherways there shall be no rain on you and you shall not be ingraffed in Christ 9. Worldly mindedness and savouring of the things of the flesh keeps the soul both under deadness and distance from God the light of glory and the heart and conversation in heaven brings forth that which hath a strong influence of grace with it Phil. 3. 20 21. We look from heaven for our Saviour the Lord Jesus who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body when the soul is in heaven and we all 2 Cor. 3. 18. with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord we are neer to the receiving of the aspects of the glorified Redeemer But such as mind earthly things whose God is their belly Phil. 3. 19. can no more receive influences of grace then earth-worms or the Serpent that eateth the dust neither can heaven and the life to come have an impression in the gracious influences of God upon a wretched man who worships clay and hath no heaven but gold how can influences of God be received in the heart of an Idolater Heavens glory upon the soul is so transparent that bread and hunger had no influence upon Moses for forty days when he was in the mount with God and then rays and influences of glory could not but besweetly received on the soul it 's clear in such as stand and live before the throne who are under the eternally shining summer Sun and receive eternally influences of glory Rev. 7. 15. the Lamb leading them they serve God night and day in his Temple v. 16. and see his face Rev. 22. 4. and reign for ever and ever v. 5. and the Disciples forgot bread and garments yea and houses for themselves to dwell in for the three tabernacles were for Christ and Moses and Elias not to shelter them from frosts and rain and hail for they feared not the like injuries to glorified bodies the Disciples say It 's good for us to be here and so it 's good for us to part with houses with ships with fishing with nets with plucking of ears of corn or buying of bread yea it 's good to part with Ordinances preaching to the Jews or Gentiles with working of miracles healing the sick or casting out of divels influences of glory were as connaturally received in the soul that is neer God and heavenly minded as the Moon and Stars receive light from the Sun and dry fewel receives fire where clay and the earthy and drosy part of the Lords creation and his foot-stool can receive no light at all so if earthly mindedness have fixed a seat in the affections the spirit of grace and glory cannot shine through gross and earthy hearts give us corn wine and oyl and the influences of the lovely countenance of God say worldlings we do little value whereas it is night and winter and hell for a child of God when the Lord withdraws influences of faith and feeling loving rejoycing and neer communion with God worshippers of God never miss gracious influences when the soul is sick after Christ influences of God for the high praise of Christ abound Cant. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 c. and Psal 63. 1. when the soul thirsteth for God and the heart and flesh cry out for the living God Psal 88. 1 2. and the soul panteth as the hart for the water brooks for God Psal 42. 1. which are crying signs of a heart in heaven then influences of grace like an high spring-tyde and like a full river flow most abundantly even to the satisfying of the soul as with marrow and fatness and to the tongue praising of God with joyful lips and the remembring of God in the bed in the night-watches Psal 63. 4 5 6. and to the extolling of the Lord as God and King Psal 88. 1 2 3. and the breaking of the heart and bones when God is reproached Psal 42. 3 10. 10. Fiery zeal hinder influences burn the Samaritans with fire from heaven say the Disciples O Paul say fiery followers of the Law would destroy the Law of God and have Christ and grace all but received ye the spirit or his influences by the Law ye know not the wild-fire of revenge and the spirit of anger that leads you saith Christ to the Disciples even to the mild beloved disciple John Luke 9. 54. Come saith Jehu and see my zeal for the Lord liar come see my zeal for Jehu and for Jehu his new Kingdom but there were here no influences of the spirit of grace for 2 Kings 10. 31. Jehu took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel to sin Therefore Jehu his fire in killing Baal's priests and Achab's seed being from false principles carnall and selfe ends and called by the holy Ghost Hos 1. 4. blood-shed and murder to be avenged of God must come from bastard influences And when our saviour rights the fire of zeale in John and James he condemnes the Spirit and the influences that made them so brutishly to startle Luke 9. 55. 2. He reduces them to the faith and sound believing of his coming in the world which was to save mens lives not to destroy them v. 56. it 's a notable healing of the too hot blood that is in fierie zeale to believe soundly the meekness of Christ therefore would hot and wild-fire influences be well tried whence they come from Heaven or from Hell for so some who kill the Lords Apostles judge then if sparkles of fire can come from heaven John 16. 2. when it is nothing so Ophni and Phinehas are publickly zealous for the Lord Moses meek in the injury done to him by Miriam and by Core and Dathan and his is fiery against the golden calf in the Lords cause hence influences from God set them a work and eat them up as zeal for the Lords house eat up David Psalm 69. 9. Psalm
and cashier and lay aside his own as the man Christ nevertheless not my will but thy will be done Matth. 26. 39. under the greatest suffering that possibly could be on created flesh as he who is most holily passive to suffer the will of God is most holily capacitate to receive the holy spotless active influences of grace as was the holy thing Jesus a wide and capacious vessel as the wisedom of Angels and men can imagine in whom was all fulness of grace be then humble and submissively flexible and bowable to the Lords will in his decrees and revealed will and the Lord shall dwell with you and look toward you Isa 57. 15. Isa 66. 2. But what are all these to fetch the wind of the Spirits breathings for you must have a wind to fetch this wind a new predetermination and influence of grace to all these duties of heavenly softness 2. Faith 3. Liveliness 4. Watchfulness c. opposite to hardness of heart 2. To unbelief 3. To deadness 4. To security c. and so we give say the adversaries nothing that we can rest on for the acquiring and purchasing of influences of grace but we must lie dead as passive lumpes say the Libertines and Calvinists what they please on the contrary that influences begin and we follow is most necessary For 1. The Lord bows moves draws and then in the same moment of time the will follows runs inclines it self as Psalm 119. v. 36. compared with v. 112. Cant. 1. 4. draw me we will run it 's here first the wind blows and the tyde flows and then we sail 2. If grace prevene nature and nature prevene not grace so we must say 3. If we pray for the influences of grace as every page almost of Scripture teacheth us so we must teach 4. Otherways salvation and stirrings in the ways of God must begin at nature and at us so shall we say against all sense the corn grows to the end the Sun may shine and warm the earth and the dew and the rain may fall on the grass and corn and the sea-men sail to the end that the wind may blow whereas the contrary is true the Sun must send influences that the corn may grow Answ We shall be most unwilling to side with cursed Libertines for what can be in strength of reason said against us comes to this If God first before we stir must bow and predetermine our souls to good before we can act and stir then are all influences of grace above our reach absolutely and then fare well free-will for he who bows irresistibly our free-will and firstly to that point of contradiction to willing rather then nilling chosing rather then refusing he must domineer over free-will and make it a meer passive lump Answ If God first by order of nature but in the same moment of time must stir and bow our souls to holy duties before our souls can act and stir themselves then must God domineer over free-will and make it a meer passive lump in acting it it 's palpably false For first by order of nature though together in order of time prius tempore simul natura the Lord stirs and determines the Sun to rise and go down Psalm 104. 19 20. Job 9. 7 8. Send an East-wind to blow in heaven and by his power bring a South-wind Psalm 78. 26. Loose the bands of the wild Ass and cause him to dwell in the barren wilderness Job 39. 5 6. Causes the Hawke by his wisedome to stretch his wings toward the North rather then the South and commands the Eagle to mount up at his command and make her nest in the rocke v. 27 28. And say to the snow be thou on the earth Job 37. 6. and stir and determine all causes naturall before they stir themselves yet the Sun in moving the Wind in blowing the Eagle in flying the Snow in falling on the earth are not for that meer patients or passive lumps in acting but have their own activity in their motion the holy Lords dominion over the operations of second causes natural or free neither strains nor doth violence to the one sort of cause nor to the other but it belongeth to the perfection of the Lords holy dominion and perfect providence to master and rule all causes and creatures in being and working 2. Therefore as the Lords dominion determines the Sun to rise and move rather then not to rise and the Hawke and Eagle to flie toward the North rather then not to flie toward the North he destroys not the nature of necessary and natural causes so we must not bid farewel to the natural operation of the one kind of causes rather then the other 3. If God first before we stir and bow our souls as Ethical moral knowing and considering causes must move stir and determine our souls to good then are all influences of grace above our reach absolutely and then farewel free-will there is no necessity of the one connexion more then the other for the Lords first bowing of our souls by order of nature before our souls bow themselves to good the soul being a moral knowing and considering cause as not one but many Scriptures Psal 119. 59 30 55 52 92. Hag. 1. 5. Hos 7. 2. Psalm 41. 1. Prov. 6. 6. Prov. 24. 32 c. prove shall never conclude that for the Lord so bows and determines our souls in all our moral actings as that he leaves the soul to judge know consider esteem ponder and weigh in the action right and lawful wrong and unlawful what is acceptable to God what is displeasing to God and what is the consequent of the action whether reward or punishment Heaven or Hell and if so the soul hath virtually and in the consequent in its power the foregoing influences of grace to have them or want them willingly and delightfully 4. If the Lord must stir and determine the soul to holy and free actings so as except he turn move and incline the will we can do nothing Prov. 21. 1. Ezech. 11. 19 20. Isa 44. 1 2 3 4 5. Ezech. 36. 26 27. John 15. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Philip. 2. 13. And 2. if we must pray that God would effectually by his grace draw the will and heart Cant. 1. 4. incline it Psalm 119. 36. teach us open our eyes Psalm 119. 18 33 34 29 66. not lead us into temptation but quicken us lead us in his way Matth. 6. 13. Psalm 25. 4 5. Psalm 5. 8. Psalm 86. 11. Psalm 143. 10. Psalm 119. 40 88 156. and that by foregoing knowledge then doe we willingly run at the same time though there be an order of nature here the ways of the Lords commandments and that not compelled with joy and delight without violence connaturally as is clear Cant. 1. 4. Psalm 119. 32 60 33 34 43 44 106. Psalm 122. 1. as infinite Scriptures prove now how Gods grace makes us both necessarily and willingly to
cannot be so strictly said that there is the tie and band of a proper condition lying upon the father though it doth lie upon the son And however the ways of the holy Lord be equal yet are they far above our ways and we are to be silenced at the bottomless depth of holy Soveraignty he lays obligations to duties upon us and is free from the debt of paying or bestowing the sum of gracious influences without which we willingly cannot perform these duties upon us and he may justly crave what we cannot pay when our impotency to pay is both our own and also goes along with our elective free chusing and hearty willingness and rejoycing not to pay and to want the sum which only the Lord can of free grace give us O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his ways past finding out Rom. 11. 33. To this head also I refer 4. That Soveraignty which hath place in chusing and calling Nations as Israel because he freely loves Deut 7. 7. Israel and their seed not other Nations Deut. 10. 7. he saith preach to Macedonia not to Bithynia and though afterward the Gospel came to Bithynia many deservedly perished old and young ere it came 5. It is admirable Soveraignty how many thousand possible plagues and evils he holds off such as millions of pests and diseases of Egypt and evil beasts Deut. 7. 15. Lev. 26. 6. why the Bones of Christ are not broken why a Dog stirs not a tongue against Israel why one only World not athousand worlds were created he appoints how long what number of minuts hours or years his own shall be in the Furnace the Lord stands beside as Master of the work eyes the melting what quantity of Hony or of Gall shal be in the Cup how many hours ye shall weep how many days or hours the Candle of the Almighty shall shine on your Tabernacle Then be humble when he shines and submissive at the time and measure of sufferings the evils that are holden off us before in their causes they be prepared when we know not should teach us to adore Soveraignty A friend that takes our defence when we are absent and an Advocate who answers for the sick and far distant client and not knowing that his cause is called and debated yea for an heir sucking the Breasts does call for much love and esteem Christ's care shines for Peter and the winnowed believers when he prays and intercedes that their faith fail not when they know not any such thing for a hid love moves much The Lord fences us we not knowing any such thing from drowning and our children in floods deep wells from burning quick from a Hell of torment in every tooth finger bone sinew artery lith member of the body of our selves of father mother son daughter and from spoyling captivity imprisonment gravels guts botches convulsions palsies possessions by Divels madness terror and agony of mind as many children drowned be not quick killed in the womb and perished in the first world and hundreds and millions of the like possible destructions are decreed to pass by me and you and do fall upon others by holy Soveraignties appointment 6. The due timing of the worlds Creation and of all things of time is from admirable Soveraignty why the world had not being ten thousand millions of imaginary ages sooner or so many ages later and from whence came this In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth is a depth of Soveraignty its wonderful Angels and souls of Men are created eternal time cannot wast them the body of man though a creature drawn out of the same nothing is not so There is a Plant that grows a year only there is a Flower that smiles a moneth another three moneths some Roses are green in March some in May some in June only and there is a Tree that grows an hundred years The like disparity there is of the life of Beasts and Birds He hath appointed a time for every purpose under Heaven a time to be born a time to die and accordingly are there several outgoings and influences of the Lord. As 1. He will not have all the four Monarchies flourish at once in there rose and bloom but one to be greater another lesser as all Rivers are not alike nor can all Conquerors be victors at one time 2. The Lord lands some children after three moneths sucking laughing weeping others live some days in the Womb and the Womb is their grave yet often eternity is a recompence for want of time and that is Gold for Iron and Copper others sail fourscore and a hundred years and never find a gracious harbour We fret because the wicked live long and prosper because we forget that Soveraignty hath determined how many hours wicked men shall laugh how many talents or stone weights of the Earth they shall have and because the Bride weeps when shall the night be gone and the day dawn and the King come there is a sort of account rendred of this by John who had been prophecying of all the Vials of wrath to be poured on the Earth especially under the Anti-Christs reign Behold he comes quickly Rev. 1. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. We complain of circumstances which are well timed by infinite wisedone should sickness and botches come upon Job when poverty had gone before Doth the Lord give an account of the substance or of the circumstances of his actions Job 33. 11. this ounce of Gall must be in or nothing the Child must be drowned in a Fountain and River when there are none to help Job was absent when God laid the corner stone of the Earth 4. The Lord times his actions of deliverance well when our strength is gone Deut. 32. 36. Gal. 4. 4. Exod. 12. 42. Jer. 29. 10. but we do badly time our sins They tempted him and provoked him but when at the red Sea and in the Wilderness Psal 78. 17. Exod. 14. Psal 106. 7. It was untimous sinning in such straits when their very moneth was come so as they could not fly from his hand CHAP. IX Of the Soveraignty of God in the works of Creation and Providence in other considerations 1. IN regard of the Lord's manner of working 2. And of his end of working 3. And of his omnipotent arm 4. Of his holiness he could not in greater wisedom have created things for nothing can be added to infinite wisedom and goodness so infinitenesse was at the creating of a worm as at the creating of the Angel Gabriel but in regard of things created he could have made a more perfect world then this and the Angel-nature mans nature the Sun Birds Beasts of more excellency as touching perfection both of nature and accidents then these that now are But here Soveraignty hath place 2. The foot should not complain why made he not me the head
and the least of Stars why made he me not the Sun nor the Earth say out of the lump of poor Nothing out of the which I came he might have made me the Globe of the Heaven of Heavens or an Angel but he would not 3. Why made not God the first Adam as perfect as the second Adam a house that can stand alone is better then an old house that needs aprop O quarrel not the Vine tree is a more noble plant then the thorn and the one must be propped else it grows not 2. The man Christ needs influences of graces as well as another man 3. The Angels and glorified Spirits need the like Man a house of clay needs a pillar of excellent matter of the gold of free-grace to hold him up in his actings 4. Why made he me not as holy as the man Christ why was this man born blind O cease he who gives not an account of any of his matters when he made you a man might have made you a snake or a stone he is debter of two eyes or of half an eye of the lowest gift or grace imaginable to no man close with all he does That is an evil wit that disputes with God Submission silent submission to the hardest dispensation makes the child of God victorious we are above all things in conquering when we are below all things in submitting for the Lord. 2. Job or any answer Job 38. 8. Who shut up the Sea with doors as if it had issued out of the womb Ver. 9. When I made the cloud the garments thereof and thick darkness a swadling band for it Job 26. 7. He stretcheth out the North over the empty place and hangeth the Earth upon nothing give a reason of East and West 3. The Lord puts forth Soveraignty on Jeroboam's arm to dry it up on Mephibosheth's feet upon the mans eye-holes Joh. 9. that they should be empty of eyes on Judas his bowels on Job's body smitten with boyls his outgoings of Soveraignty appear on the Fig-tree which he curseth on the Gourd of Jonah for he blasts it on the Fig-tree and Vine-tree for he marrs them Joel 1. 4. As it pleaseth him he setteth one piece of clay on the Throne to glister another bit of clay behind the mill where he sweats and is hungry Zeph. 3. 12. I will leave in the midst thereof an afflicted and a poor people or sick yea dryed up as Fish-ponds and Brooks use to be when the rest are swept away Joseph is rich and all the Corn of Egypt is his and his brethren want bread and are low like Carriers driving horses with loads on them 5. Job gets no leave to swallow his spittle Job 7. 19. Precious Israel is plowed Psal 129. 1. and her back made a field of bloud like two legs and a piece of an ear of a devoured sheep plucked out of the mouth of a Lion Amos 3. 12. the man Christ a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief a worm and not a man and all the Earth sitteth still and is at rest Zech. 1. 11. the wicked shine are fat their breasts are full of milk and you stumble at this Shall any teach the Almighty knowledge Job 21. 22 23 24. Amos 6. 1 2 3. Psal 73. 1 2 3 4 5 6 c. 6. Except Soveraignty what can silence the mind of one who stumbles and doubts and weeps because so many Infants are burnt in Sodom with fire so many in the old World are drowned with waters in the mothers womb and the cradle the young sucking children of the Amalekites of Babylon who never drew a sword against the people of God could never bow their knee to the Idol God Pel nor stretch out their hands to him perish by the sword and their heads dasht against stones O they were guilty of sin original yea and so were Moses David Samuel Noah Job and Daniel when they were in the womb and weeping on the breasts 7. Soveraignty determines what is just righteous Abel dies in bloud godly Josiah in war many bloody men smile out their soul in peace I took Sodom away saith the Lord Ezech. 16. 50. as I saw good a wall falls upon twenty seven thousand and kills them 1 Kings 20. the Lord shoots an arrow of the Pestilence at the camp of the Assyrians and without a misse takes away in one night an hundred and fourscore and five thousand chosen men Isa 37. 36. 2 Chro. 13 18. there fell of Israel at once five hundered thousand how many graves must be there Pharaoh and his Princes are drowned in the Sea Herod killed with worms then simple judgements as divided from sin prove nothing but how are we to stoop and tremble at holy Soveraignty 8. As touching gifts and graces much is to be seen of Soveraignty Elihu saith Job 32. 9. Great men are not always wise neither do the aged understand judgement Beautie is a debt that God ows not to pay to Absalom nor wisedom to Achitophel more then to a stark fool or to any man who is born as a wild Ass colt This Soveraignty gives faith to Abraham to Moses meekness to David sincerity to Josiah zeal to Job patience to the man Christ the fulness of the Spirit above measure there is more grace of godly painfulness given to Paul then to the dayly eye-witnesses of Christ I laboured more abundantly then they all 1 Cor. 15. you might have had wisedom and used it as Achitophel and yet saith one God hath given me no more grace therefore let God blame God that I doe as I doe if he had given me more grace I would have done better and if I had a heart according to the heart of God I would have been as holy sincere and zealous as David but he denyed it to me out of his absolute Soveraignty which is far above my will and my strength influences of grace both for the obtaining of the habits and the acts of Soveraign grace Ans These practical Propositions are to be considered 1. Prop. 1. It is proud nature which saith God is to be blamed for whether the Lord give or withhold more grace holiness and spotlesness doth essentially convey his Soveraignty Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to doe what I will with mine own saith he who is Almighty For he who is in an unsearchable way above all law that binds the Creature can be subject to no blame Suppose the evil servant say Matth. 25. 24. Lord I knew thee that thou art an hard man reaping where thou hast not sown and gathering where thou hast not strowed That is thou seekest much obedience and a large harvest and sowest upon my heart little grace and gave me but one talent if thou hadst given me five talents or two talents I should have done as well as the servant who received five or two but thou didst not any such thing therefore blame thy self and so it is the very
complaint of the very malignant servant as also the rich Gluttons divinity reflects upon the gracious dispensation of God Luke 16. 30. Nay father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent Which is as much as God is to be blamed that his five brethren repent not for he bestows not sufficient helps of salvation on them Q. 1. What is the book of Moses and the Prophets but a paper roll of letters and syllables would he send a Preacher from Hell and a Messenger from Heaven to give them sufficient warning and instruction of a Heaven and a Hell it were good but that he does not he then is to be blamed not my five brethren 2. He who shews mercy on whom he will and hardneth whom he will and that by a strong mighty will which no man can resist he can find fault with no man though he sin and harden his own heart For his absolute Soveraign will is far above me and my strength but so doth the Lord saith the carnal man Rom. 4. 18. 19. and the holy Ghost saith such an Objection is unworthy to be moved or answered nor becomes it base clay and the clay pot so to argue with the great potter and former of all things 2. Influences for getting of the habits or performing the acts of saving grace are the Lord 's own therefore Soveraignty is his Law he may bestow them or withhold them as he pleaseth especially if the Creature be willing to want these influences and if the Sun rejoyce with all his heart at the influences and concurring providences of God to the contrary sinful actings as he doth Exod. 5. 2 8 16 17 18. Psal 14. 4. Psal 10. 6 7 8. 4. 10 11. Psal 36. 3 4. Psal 84. 5 6 7 8. Prov. 1. 11 12. Prov. 2. 14. Prov. 4. 16. 17. Prov. 10. 23. Prov. 14. 9. Prov. 7. 18. Prov. 9. 17. Psal 49. 11. Luke 11. 39. Psal 5. 9. Psal 64. 6. 3. Though we could not conceal the Lord's concluding of all under unbelief and their guiltiness who are so concluded and the mystery of the Lord 's rejecting the Jews and calling the Gentiles with the free obedience of the one and free disobedience of the other and the Lord 's having mercy on whom he will and hardning whom he will with their willing running in ways of disobedience and rebellion and say as Paul Rom. 11. 33. O the depth c. yet adversaries have no cause of objecting this to us more then to the Scriptures of God 4. Prop. Gracelesness is satisfied with gracelesness and is no more desirous and thirsty for grace nor darkness after the Sun light or coldness desireth the fires heat yea as Satan cannot destroy Satan the body of sin cannot love to be subdued by grace and the man hating both Christ and his Father John 15. 24. and pleasing himself in that way who yet complains that God doth withdraw his grace and so cannot command us or exhort us to repentance is like to him who lies still in the furnace and loves to be burnt and complains that he is scorched and tormented and the Lord will not lift him out of the furnace 5. What a proud Pelagian nature is this for any to say had he the habit of grace which was in David he could act as David and could secure himself from adultery and murther but how did David who had David's heart fall in these horrid crimes can any interpose himself surety and put grace which he hath not or nature which he cannot command to undertake to obey God in all things were it not safer to be pained with the bondage of sin and be sick for Christ and his grace and never to interpose self to be surety for self but to be strong in free grace only Ephes 6. 10. CHAP. X. 1. Soveraignty in actings of grace 2. We are not to seek influences but such as are suitable to the Word 3. Of divers influences 4. How we complain of want of influences and how we may suit them 5. We are to act under indispositions 6. How we are to pray continualy 7. Not to act duties while we feel breathings of the Spirit is an unsafe Rule 8. Preparations before Duties 9. To wait on breathings before we act Duties how lawful how not LEt it be futher considered in these Particulars how unjust we are and how free the Lord is 1. Who ever complains of the want of grace and yet remains in the state of nature doth close with his want of grace For 1. The renewed mans complaining of the want of grace is neither in sense or godly feeling nor in faith and humble believing Nature can no more complain of the want of grace with any spiritual and godly sense then a sucking child can weep because he is not an understanding man of thirty years old for darkness cannot seek after the Sun light for so it should desire its own destruction nor can cold desire heat nor Satan be divided against Satan and therefore these are but feigned and counterfeit bemonings For the actings of sinful nature with delight say that the man hates grace which he professeth he so much desires for only grace can thirst after and long for grace Joh. 15. 24. If I had not done among them the works which no other man did they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father Such a hatred of the fulness of grace Jesus Christ cannot consist with a lively desire of grace Prop. 2. It is a right Rule not to separate Soveraignty from the Word or the Omnipotency of grace from the Promise otherwise we make a sort of Idol of Omnipotency seek we them and pray for influences of grace not peremptorily hic nunc to every single acting Psal 119. 2. My soul cleaveth to the dust quicken thou me according to thy word Ver. 28. My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen thou me according to thy word Ver. 107. I am afficted very much quicken thou me according to thy word v. 154. For 1. A gracious heart seeks no other out-lettings of grace to this or that duty but according to the promise Now the promise is not contrary to the Soveraign dispensation and there is no such Soveraignty but that there are many withdrawings of God whence follows deadness and the souls melting for heaviness Nor is there either promise or dispensation that the belever shall in every moment of time be lively and vigorous and have the heart lifted up in the ways of God except we would say Earth is Heaven and we are not for a time in heaviness if need be 2. There is a bastard literal heat and vigor of going about duties that comes not from the Word no bastardheat comes from the Word but by accident for the Spirit that speaks in the Word speaks his own spiritual and lively comforts and actings not that which may flow from a
Master who gives all the Kingdomes of the World to his Worshippers then God who denies Bread to his own wel-beloved Son thus doth Satan but in another kind fret So Gen. 3. it s a bad providence that Adam and Evah are not as knowing as God and Luke 5. 34. What have we to doe with Christ But may not conscience accuse providence in the Lord 's withdrawing of grace especially being wakened Ans The Conscience of Divels and the Damned is awakned either penally or sinfully these may be distinguished here the Conscience as penally wakned by the Judge primarily gnaws and torments it self for sin as punished I have sinned saith Judas and he casts down the seven pieces feeling the worm but as the Conscience is sinfully wakned by it self in blaspheming the God of Heaven Rev. 16. 9 11. because of pain it also frets against providence but is is not pain'd for the want of saving grace and holy influences which might have prevented sin yea their blasphemings of God eternally is a seal and a closeing with the state of unrenewed nature which is never moved for sin but wrestles against the providence which sometime did permit sin which now hath such tormenting consequences though the conscience in the mean time being taken with the Iustre and apparent good in sin did also close with the opportunity of sin and with providence opening the way to tentations Prov. 7. 15. and seek such a providence Gen. 39. 11 12. and embrace it Mark 14. 10 11. yet is there saving good in a regulated spiritual complaining of the want of saving influences So as 1. They be not looked on as misdeeds of providence and we say not the Lord might have lent me the influence to such a self-denying death as Abraham's journey in aiming to sacrifice his only son for God but he would not 2. It s good if there be a holy submissive complaining of the want of gracious influences as terminated upon duties Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and hardened our hearts from thy fear and not looked on as withdrawings of meer providence Though there be a holy claimbring to God ver 19. we are thine yet we are so thine as thy grace is Soveraign Thou never bearest rule over them they were not called by thy name and yet no praise or thanks to Israel that they were called by his Name rather then the Heathen 3. We may pray for and so earnestly suit and desire influences as Draw me quicken me encline my heart unto thy testimonies Therefore we may pray against withdrawings of influences as sad privations of dreadful consequents and so much is held forth in that Petition lead us not unto temptation 4. Yet so as there is no deserving in us of having eyes to see and spiritual influences to see to hear to perceive with a new heart Deut. 29. 2 3. as its not the merit of one part of the Earth the South that it lie nearer the Sun then another Northern part nor the good deserving of one Horse that he wear a golden Saddle and a silken Bridle rather than another this would be minded What am I Lord as it was Christ's mind to cry down works in point of salvation yet not to cry down all actings by way of duty in the New-covenant way Therefore 5. since grace may be desired and all gracious influences are grace so is there a conformity betwixt the believers will suiting influences and the revealed and approving will of God I say not his high decree and ordaining will for sure New-Testament or New-Covenant prayers new oyl and new supply of grace do import a fresh supply and watering of influences to be furnished to believers especially since we may pray Hallowed be thy Name in me thy Kingdome come to me thy will be done by me in the Earth is it is in Heaven 5. We may and ought to suit of God what the Lord promiseth in the Covenant of grace but the Lord promiseth to bestow predeterminating grace in this Covenant as after shall be cleared Now the faultiness of this I will not pray untill the Spirit act upon me and move me to pray is seen in that it importeth that the moral ground of praying is not the command of God pray continually and that command call upon me in the day of trouble which is most false for another warrant for all moral obedience then precept promise or practise can no man give yea it supposeth that the warrant of prayer is the influence of grace Now the influence of grace is the efficient helping cause not the rule not the objective cause of either our praying or any acts of our obedience Yea it is the way of Enthysiasts to make divine impulsions and not the word of precept the Rule of our obedience 2. This I will not pray untill the Spirit first act upon me must have either this sense I will not pray untill the Lord first give a praying disposition or untill the Lord first actually breath upon me This latter saith indeed I will not pray until I pray for the Lord 's actual influence includes praying The former cannot be said For there is no warrant to disobey the command pray continually untill I get a new disposition from Heaven for then might all praying of the renewed be shifted and the three Disciples in the garden might have said to Christ our Master bids us pray but we are heavy with sleep and indisposed and cannot pray and so must we be excused 2. Upon the same account Magus Acts 8. 21. and other unrenewed men should shift the command of praying for while we be translated out of nature to the Kingdome of grace we want the habit of grace and spirit of adoption by which only we can pray acceptably 3. How unsavoury shall this be a man falls over a Bridge and is a drowning another is going to the place of Execution to die another is sick to death all of them may by this shift say we must not pray lest we take the Name of God in vain untill the Spirit breath upon us heavenly impressions of speaking in the Spirit to God 4. This shift cannot stand to suspend praying until the Spirit breath from on high for we are to pray for the spirit 's breathing and for teaching quickning enlarging of heart that we may pray and praise Psal 51. 15. Psal 119. 36 37 40 48. Wind fetches wind here and fire begets fire as cold flint creates hot fire so the Atheists let them pray that can pray I 'me no Minister But it hath this I am ready to pray but the blame of my not praying is to be laid on the Spirit for the wind blows not but this is but witty laziness as when the Sea-man will sleep and attempt no Sea-voyage and lay the blame which is his fall upon the wind which blows not after his mind it appears he is but a sleeper
any we read Cant. 5. 6. I rose up to open to my beloved my beloved had withdrawn himself and had passed away my soul went forth because of his speech Ainsworth My soul was gone and departed that is failed fainted I was even a dead woman through fear and grief for death is the departing of the soul from the body Gen. 33. 18. This though an Evangelical desertion is as much as David saith my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer and as the waves of the Lord's wrath comming over Heman yea and it is more painful to be thrust out of Heaven and to be deprived of an high measure of enjoyed and felt love and is a sadder torment then all the law-burnings though they have in David and others some such love-sickness which was ordinary to the Old Testament-dispensation and these and the like the soul is more able to bear that the habit and stock is rich as Christ from the personally indwelling God-head was strong in his desertions peculiar to him and the richer the habit of grace be the more able is the soul to stand out the strong ship is more able to endure the storm then the crazy and rotten vessel a Giant is fitter for a battle with a Giant then a Child is 9. Some are kept in perfect peace whose minds are staid on the Lord and being justifyed by faith have peace with God Isa 26. 2. Rom. 5. 1. There are two sorts of dispensations one fundamental another not fundamental the former is the Lord 's carrying on his begun work which is to will and doe to the end in his ordinary course the dispensation which is not fundamental respects the Lord's way of doing hic nunc in such circumstances and the degrees of grace given or infused which do not vary the spece and nature of the work We read not of Daniel's cursing the day he was born in as Jeremy and Job doe nor is there any shaddow of it in Joseph yet nothing hinders but Job and Jeremy may and did at other times enjoy sweet presence and nearness to God But 1. We would not take extraordinary feasts to be dayly food nor should we much wonder when a change cometh but how do we chide quarrel complain because it is not always so Nor 2. Should we be rough but compassionate to sick ones it s the Lord's way that all in the house should not be sick at once but some are sick and some whole to wait on the sick and all to bear one anothers burthens all the diseases of the house are not the same in kind and degree 2. Some do all their life dwell in the borders of hell and never have fair sayling nor fulness of assurance until they be upon the shoar such have only Star-light and are called to pure living by faith Isa 50. 10. 3. Some once in all their life have one only remarkable night of wrestling with God and prevail as Jacob did and some love so their prison that they take a sentence à non judice à non habente potestatem the Law severed from Christ is no judge at all to believers the Law speaks to its own that are under the Law Rom. 3. 19. the Jaylor can command none but his own prisoners 4. Some are frequently taken into the house of Wine and to the Kings Chamber And what changes there be Cant. 2. cap. 3. c. 4 5 9. 1. v. 6. may be seen its cleer and he that runs may read felt love is not heritage to any There is a huge difference between Cant. 2. 6. His left hand is under mine head and his right hand doth embrace me And that I sought him but I found him not chap. 3. And that is a joyful feast Cant. 5. 1. I am come unto my garden my sister my spouse I have gathered my myrrhe with my spice eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved And that again is a sad song ver 6. My beloved had withdrawn himself I sought him but I found him not I called him but he answered me not 5. Some are all their life creeping children yet saved a sincere affection in Nicodemus consists with much ignorance yet is not the faith rotten 6. It belongs to soveraignty that the little vessels of small quantity hang upon Christ as well as the great Isa 22. 24. and that the lambs as well as the stronger of the flock are cared for by him Isa 40. 11. and that the bruised reeds have their dependence on him 7. To this head of soveraignty belong the various kinds of desertions As 1. None are so deserted as the fallen Angels they have done for ever and ever with all influences of grace and are eternally outlaws from the Court of the King who is head of principalities and powers Jude ver 6. reserved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in everlasting chains c. 2 Pet. 2. 4. O but the chains of Divels are fiery and hellish 2. Next to them are reprobate men who cast off Christ and turn into Satans camp No saving influences are due to such as are reprobate to good works Ah beware of habitual hating of Christ and his house dependers and seed yet are there here degrees for none are in that measure deserted or blasphemers of the holy Ghost 3. Christ's desertion was extremely penal and brought out tears and strong cries mixt with a curse and only influences were suspended as touching vision and enjoyment or fruition and the actual comforts of God the crown in a manner was laid aside out of the eye and sight of the man Christ yet wanted he never influences 1. For acts of love Father remove 2. For acts of faith O my father remove 3. For acts of praying more earnestly Luk. 23. 44. O my father remove this cup. 4. For acts of witnessing a good confession before Pontius Pilate 5. For acts of preaching the confessing man to Paradise with him none are eternally and cursedly deserted who can pray and hope and believe in the furnace as Christ 4. The redeemed of God are not all one and the same way deserted 1. Some are extremely at under as Job who apprehended that God did pursue him as an enemy Job 13. 20. though Job and every believer be the friend of God Jam. 2. 23. 2. The Spouses desertions are less being conveyed with love-sickness Magdalen hath no wakenings of conscience for sin nor any positive agony or law-challenges but only love desertion she says with tears They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him 3. Some are meer desertions as to the act of sin God is angry at David when God withdraws so as he numbers the people and commits adultery and murther and Christ is angry at Peter's pride when he suffers him to deny his Master but neither David and Peter feels any anger from the Lord in such withdrawings of gracious influences but it s so much the worse the man is
part of the worm acts upon the other to bring forth a motion of life 2. Ye have no more reason to chide him for blasting your heart with withering then that the Lord sends a wind upon the Rose and dries it up and the grace of it is gone 3. Meddle not with his part but complain of your part let his soveraignty alone and confess your own guiltiness Isa 64. 6 8. there is a confession of our sin But we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and withal an acknowledgment of his Soveraignty we are the clay and thou our potter 4. When the Lord withdraws seek again and again be sick after him Cant. 3. 1 2 3. Cant. 7. 6 7 8. Joh. 20. 1 2 3 13. and know that Christ is never so absent but there may be also much cause of praising and humble blessing God if there be love-sickness for him hunger after him and a spiritual missing of him as there is reason to complain of the withdrawing of his influences For Cant. 3. when Christ is absent he is not absent the soul is shined upon when the soul is overclouded for it is noon-day at mid-night he is absent as to feeling as to finding and quiet enjoying I sought him but I found him not and again I sought him but I found him not but he is strongly present and shining as to influences of grace 1. In painful seeking in the bed by night Cantic chap. 3. ver 1. 2. In and about the broad streets and ways v. 2. 3. In using publick means watch-men saw ye him v. 3. 4. In using other means in private I went a little further 5. In holy missing I found him not v. 1. I found him not v. 2. In holy finding v. 4. I found him 6. And all the while his presence is mighty in the soul-love to him I sought him whom my soul loved four times expressed v. 1. v. 2. v. 3. v. 4. so that the gleaning is better then the full harvest the mid-night absence hath as many sweet priviledges as the noon days presence A sinners seeking loving and longing and languishing after lost Christ is Heaven upon Earth his pawns he leaves behind him are rich and sweet nor can one be out of Heaven in a better desertion then missing and seeking the face of Jacob's God Psal 24. 6. Psal 27. 8. Jer. 50. 4. so groundless often is our complaining that we want Christ that Christ guides and tutors us badly that he mis-guides rather Ah how sinfully querulous are we he does all things well his absence is presence his frownings sweet and profitable Yet is not this spoken to cool our fervour of seeking when we misse him and find him not but rather we are to go on not to say any thing of Law-smiting and of Law-firings of the soul under apprehended wrath especially that which hath Gospel-hope and Gospel-sickness after Christ conjoyned with them Rom. 7. The Law slew me The Law kills no man who is under Christ out of hand yea to such as are under grace somewhat of the Gospel-heaven cleaves to the Law-hell It s a miracle how some are burnt with the Law slain with the terrors of God wounded with the arrows of the Almighty and yet are green in the surnace as Job c. 6. c. 7. 20. I have sinned what shall I doe to thee O thou preserver of men Ver. 21. Why dost thou not pardon my transgression and take away my iniquity To strive with the Law were to strive with God so do Divels and reprobates for eternity wrestle with the Law-justice and the Law-curse grace teacheth meek assenting to the Law as good and spiritual neither Christ nor any of his live at ods and variance with the Law Indeed to the Saints the Law is as they say of Elements They exist not in their purity but with some mixture For the Law to believers is managed by Christ and in his hands made use of for saving ends even when the believer is in the Law-furnace nor is there any who could guide make so good use of the Law as Jesus Christ Some there are that one nights waking under the terrors of the Law would make an end of them if invisible Gospel strength were not furnished to them and here there must be a mixture of Law-influences and of Gospel impressions of Christ upon the spirit It speaks much grace in Josiah 2 Kings 22. 19. to feel and suffer with softness and tenderness of a meekned and a tamed heart the smart and pain of the influences of the threatning Law And its prevalency of grace for Hezekiah Isa 39. to stoop to the like and to say good is the word of the Lord even the word of a curse Deut. 28. of threatning the saddest evils as to kick like a fatted horse and to spurn at such impressions of wrath born in upon the conscience in Pharaoh Exod. 10. 28. in Achab 1 Kings 22. 26. in the Priests Prophets and People Jer. 26. 8. of the chief Priests and Pharisees Matth. 21. 45 46. does proclaim much gracelesness of an undanted and unplowed heart where there is any ingredient of Gospel-grace there is a coming down and a stooping to the influences of God of what kind soever yea and generally a gracious spirit dare no more resist and pray against the Lord's will of pleasure or purpose in its event then against any part of the revealed will of God or the will of precept either Law or Gospel The disciples were to watch and pray against the decreed and prophecied scattering of the flock and their fleeing and forsaking of Christ Matth. 26. 31 32 38 41. but there can no case be given in which we may resist the approving will of God in his word that then must be a sweet conformity with God when the heart sweetly closes with impressions of rebukes threatnings convictions and influences of Evangelick commands It s good earth that easily yields and cedes to the breakings and tillings made by the Plough let the word act as the Lord will in all its kinds and the soul says amen but the ground that breaks the Irons of the tilling Plough is convinced to be rocky and barren every string of the harp beaten on by the hand of the Musician gives a resound like it self a Bell of silver hath an other sort of excellent sound then a Bell of Brass or Iron the gracious heart answers to every letter and impression of the word to the promise with faith to the precept with pliableness of obedience to the threatning with softness and godly trembling for all the Word and Law and the several parts thereof are written and engraven in the heart and the gracious heart is a double or a second copy of the Old and New Testament So Achab on the contrary meets every word from Micaiah with hatred and there is a resound and an echo of hatred and persecution which in
the Pharisees meets the words of rebuke in Christ's mouth and bitterness in Herod resounds when John Baptist does rebuke his incest and adultery Take it for a sad condition when there is a practical contrariety and hatred betwixt the heart and the word of the Lord a heart loathing of the word and a rejecting thereof is dreadful whereas the esteeming of the word sweeter then the honey or the honey comb more then thousands of silver and gold the mans treasure his heritage his souls delight and love night and day his work meditation study wisedom do proclaim much of the new creation the word being the seed of the new birth and new creations must love the mother seed it s own native beginning as the streams are of the same nature and likeness with the fountain the Word tries all mens hearts see Joh. 7. 40 41 42 43 44 45 46. Luk. 4. 21 22 23 24 25 28 29. Acts 2. 12 13 37 38 39. Acts 7. 54 55 c. Acts 13. 38 42 43 44 45 46. Acts 14. 1 2 3 4 5 c. Acts 17. 34 35 36. Some believe some mock the natural man cannot close with the word Now Christ is given as a Leader and Commander to the people Isa 55. 4. charge him not as a misleading and a rash guide because he carries you through a wildernesse where there is neither flood nor fountain on the Earth nor dew or rain from Heaven you are withered and no influences come from him let faith complain of the barrenness of the Earth but justifie the driness of the clouds it s the wisedom of God that teacheth the believer to weep because he wants rain and moistness and is sinfully dry and yet to submit to him who denies rain and dew for he gives not here upon just grounds and holily I want deservedly for my just demerit Part. II CHAP. I. 1. God acts upon the creature first and not the creature first upon God 2. The Lord's dominion of influences on free will 3. Nor are we to be idle and sleep because the Lord is Master of his own influences 4. The Lord commands not us to have or want influences 5. Influences are not our warrant to act but the efficient cause thereof HItherto much hath been said of the Soveraignty of the Lord in divine influences Now are we to speak of the way of getting these influences and of the necessity of them and how we may fetch the wind 1. By natural actings 2. By supernatural actings by the word and promise 3. By the efficient causes of influences especially by the Spirit Hence the division of influences 1. By the infused habit of grace 2. By spiritual dispositions In all which our faith praying using of grace have their several influences What we may doe to fetch heavenly influences from God is above my reach to determine only let these Propositions be considered Prop. 1. God by order of nature first acts upon the creature and gives his stirring up influence to it We cannot in genere causae physicae first breath upon God he prevenes the Sun and the Sun riseth or riseth not as the Lord pleaseth to act upon it but no second causes do prevene the first or universal cause the Sun and Heaven do act first upon the Rose but the Rose doth not first act upon the Sun and Heaven Job 37. 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his works c. By the breath of God frost is given this shows that the host of creatures in Heaven and in Earth and the Sea are all dead passive sleepy cyphers and can do nothing if the Lord do not stir them God must be Father Lord and Author of all created actings and faith would without carefulness or unbelief commit all to so wise a Steersman though Phil. 4. 6. the Sea shall drown me the Fire consume me the Air suffocate me yet I desire to hear and obey that Be careful in nothing but pray Matth. 6. I shall perish for want ver 25. Take no thought They will kill me if I confess Christ Fear not Matth. 10. 28 29. your Father cares for two sparrows and for every hair of your head O but the Ship I am in is a sinking Matth. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful waken Christ by praying ah my little daughter is dead Fear not only believe Mark 5. 36. ah they shall deliver us to synagogues and prisons and bring us before Kings and all men shall hate us for Christ's sake True But there shall not one hair of your head perish it s but our unbelief which sees God suffering all to roll and reel as Fortune Nature and Devils will which makes us sinfully care For the Lord and Father of Christ cannot vace and Christ's not working is contrary to John 5. 17. but all are in a good hand Obj. But Heman saith Psal 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in piel antecessit antevert it praeoccupavit anticipavit it s to go before in time in earliness Psal 119. 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watch Deut. 23. 4. The Amalekites prevented you not with bread it s to go before in place Psal 68. 26. The singers went before its strange that any prayer could prevent God Ans Not properly he saith himself JOb 41. 11. Who hath prevented me the same word that I should repay him then our preventing of God should lay some debt upon God which is unpossible and as Paul observes Rom. 11. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who gave him first Therefore 1. He speaks Psal 88. of God after the manner of men as if Heman in a manner were more early up in the morning to pray then the Lord were ready to hear the contrary whereof is true as if Heman's early praying wakened God Psal 44. 23. Awake why sleepest thou 2. There is a preventing of God as a Deliverer and a Comforter God's order is that our praying makes an impulsion and stirring on the Lord first and then he delivers and comforts Psal 24. 6. Psal 18. 6 7 16. and so in order to comfort and deliverance in genere mediorum moralium prayer wakens Heaven and puts the Lord a working but as touching the order of real and physical actings the Lord prevents us the string of the Harp or Viol is not said to touch the hand of the Musician but the Musician's hand toucheth the string hence is Musick Nor does the Axe stir and lift up the arm of the Carpenter but the Carpenter's arm lifts up the Axe therefore they who teach that our prayer and the actings of our free will can and may prevent grace in place of preventing grace give us nature and the creature preventing God we read of the Father drawing us and the Son with the odour of his ointments drawing sinners but to teach that nature prevents grace is to say we are
death another that deserves eternal death we cannot believe Mr. Baxter 3. It makes us children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. by nature as others are If it be temporary wrath only and Infants be free of sin that condemnes to the second death Christ bare in his body the sin of no Infants Christ died for sinners only the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3. 18. Rom. 4. 25. Isa 53. 6 10. Infants are not sinners nor are sucking Infants laved and washed in his blood as others Rev. 1. 5. Nor are they sinners whom Christ came to save 1 Tim. 1. 15. Nor are Infants any of the many or of the all for whom Christ gave himself a ransome Mat. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 2. 6. And since the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to Infants and they are to be baptized Act. 2. 38 39. there must be some other name by which Infants must be saved then by the name of Jesus Christ contrary to Act. 4. 12. For what need is there of Christ's righteousnesse and of remission of sins and redemption in Christ's blood Rom. 3. 25. Ephes 1. 7. Col. 1. 13 14. to Infants if sin original be no sin 4. Heathens ignorant of sin original are still left by such masters to accuse Justice If Infants be free of sin why is nature called by them a step-dame which hath brought forth men in such misery when they enter in the world Why do Infants suffer death burning drowning ripping up and wounding in the wombe Why suffer they such wrath of pining sicknesse incursions of Devils if all these be free of sin Some say these are temporary evils but it proves not any sin deserving eternal burning to be in Infants The Lord needs not my lye but let any man answer me in point of holy spotlesse justice how a punishment of ten degrees can more be inflicted for that which is no sin nor any transgression of a Law then a punishment of a thousand degrees See how Mr. Baxter with Arminians and Pelagians can from Scripture teach us of whole sins and half sins whole wrath and hell and half wrath and half condemnation or half hell Q. But what Law is there that we should have the power of believing or the image of God The covenant of works doth presuppose that image to be in man otherwise he is not in a capacitie to be in covenant with God therefore it could not be injoyned and commanded in the covenant of works that Adam should have this Image of God And if so the want of it must be a meer punishment not a sin Ans The Lord in creating Adam must necessarily have a two-fold Consideration One 1. of a Creator 2. Another of a Law-giver In the first the Lord creates Being but in the latter he is such a special Creator to wit a Law-giving Creator who while he creates Being does concreate these noble Principles and write and by nature ingrave the Law of the Image of God the natural knowledge of God his holinesse justice mercie c. and of right and wrong and a natural holinesse and innate conformitie of the heart to the eternal Law of God in mans soul A Painter drawes the portraict of a living beautiful heroick King according to the living man the Painter both gives being to the painted image and such a being according to the law and art of painting he followes exactly and accurately his copie and living samplar and so gives a law to his own acts of painting And therefore God in one and the same act both creates man and gives him a being even holinesse his image and holy being and in creating of man gives and concreates and ingraves the image of GOD sound knowledge right inclinations and while the Lord creates he gives and ingraves a Law and while he gives and ingraves a Law he creates man And therefore it follows not that the covenant of works does not presuppose the image of God in man and it does not follow but the very act of God in stamping and ingraving his image in Adam is also a giving of him a Law Yea God in creating any creature of nothing does also concreate as a sort of Law-giver such a natural Law Every creature Sun Moon Heaven Earth Sea Man Angel ought to be subject as a creature to God Creator in being and operation Here is both the act of a Creator and also the act of a Law-giver Now the eternal Law of God requires that mans soul should be by creation indued with the image of God and Adam and Evah by that image said Amen to that Law for a time Eat not lest ye die They knew the Law was just and they knew it was their natural obligation to obey and how can it be denied but this knowledge was a part of the mans natural goodnesse and holinesse and so agreeable to the eternal Law of God and that the contrary of this to doubt of the truth of this as Satan induced them to doe Gen. 3. was a blacking of that fair image and contrary to the law of nature 2. The more of this image that is left in the soules of men by nature as the more knowledge natural justice and vertue remain in Aristides Regulus Seneca Tullius c. the more lovely they are and so must their souls have a more natural conformitie with the law of nature then other Heathens who kil'd their aged Fathers sacrificed their sons to Devils used wives promiscuously Then what God condemnes in us that we should condemn in our selves and therefore are to be humbled for our state we are in by nature For we are dead in sins and trespasses by nature the children of wrath as well as others Eph. 2. 1 4 We our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother warm me Upon this account the Lord suffers his own to fall and lye in the dust and to know what beasts they are as the godly confesse Psal 73. 23. Prov. 30. 2. themselves to be Nothing men are more ashamed of then that they are descended of a traiterous and bloody Family that sucked the paps of the bear or the wolfe that the father and mother were dogs and swine and they born of leprous parents the house of sinful Adam that we lay claim unto is a botch-house and leper-house and worse And this is more vile then if there were none of the world that we could claim kindred unto but serpents dogs swine and wolves 2. How proud and shamelesse are we to deny this running botch of sin original and say it is no sin would it cure a man of a raging pest-boile to say it was no pest to give it another name It 's a part of original sin in our Atheism to belye the Lord and say it is soul-sicknesse but it is not sin it deserves not
the second death Infants then dying Infants are no debtors to the compleat ransome of blood that Christ gave to deliver them from the wrath And when our Saviour blessed Infants and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven his sense must be that infants departing this life in infancie hold heaven by no Charter of Christ the heir of all are not washed from sin are not delivered from wrath to come nor obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ as it is in 1 Thessal 5. 9. 3. What debt is this who of Angels or men can pay the hire of free love to Christ ye were born beasts Tigers Lions Dogs and broods of Satan and the Serpents seed and Christ hath made you sons of God Kings and Priests to God heirs of life co-heirs with Christ partakers of the divine nature the first-born of God written in heaven 4. Never dream that your own strength or good parts of nature can fit and spiritually capacitate you for receiving influences for spiritual duties nature cannot more prepare it self for grace and a gracious state then a Thistle can change it self into a Vine-tree Christ is good at all indispositions of deadnesse of a natural state whom he quickens that man and he only shall live who can help a dead heart but he that is the resurrection and the life and he who raises the dead only can quicken such dead ones 5. It s a bold and proud Pen that would plead and advocate for such a hellish nature and except Satan and his sons Pelagians what do they but depose Christ from his office of the Physician of sinners and bid him go back to Heaven with his Medicaments of free grace There be here no sick folks free will is strong enough new habits of grace are useless the letter and moral acting of the word can raise dead souls shall we thus requite Christ for his free grace 6. Though there be no merit in diligent seeking and hearing the preached Gospel its good to lie near the fountain for all that as motion begets and augments vital heat and activity to move frequent seeking brings home influences so we are here in using means compare Cant. 3. 1 2 3. with v. 4. and Psal 22. 2. with Psal 18. 6. Gen. 32. 26 27 28. But of this hereafter CHAP. III. The second particular of fetching influences is by supernatural actings by the word and spirit 1. It s a question whether justified ones perform any moral actions without any influence of the habit of grace 1. Some heat and warmness may arise materially from actings in duties though customary formal dead 3. The exercises of spiritual actions are the best preparations for spiritual actions 4. Influences of grace oyl the wheels of the soul for more spiritual acting 5. Natural and literal actings though void of grace because they are some way under the institution of a divine command are nearer to saving actings of grace then the contraries of these actions are 6. A practise of free grace in the Lord is to be differenced from a promise of grace 7. How the Lord is under a necessity of giving influences THere be some actings even in renewed men partly from the Spirit partly from nature custome or formality The question is thus framed because it is a disputable question Whether justified ones doe any actions morally good from an only principle natural without any influence of the indwelling spirit at all since their sins after their being in Christ are not committed with the full bensil of the will for the Spirit in some measure retards and weakens the motion of the flesh Rom. 7. and the habit of sin original is weakned and remitted or slacked in its strength in the regenerate and therefore it would seem if the spirit do weaken retard and blunt the actions of the flesh that far more there is in all moral actions that are good morally some influence of the Spirit less or more So the Question is whether or no the children of God may safely set to work though their actions proceed from conscience natural power custome or a meer office with little influence of habitual grace to works of grace that they may fetch influences of grace 1. It s not unlike it may be so for the godly who went to the morning and evening prayers and sacrifices as is clear Psal 141. 2. Acts 3. 1. Luke 1. 8 9. might go about these duties sometime upon meer custome and the children of God who know their own backdrawing hearts shall not denie this and they may pray from a natural conscience and not so much as is required and otherwise they do mind the duty as an Ordinance of God and yet be inflamed with spiritual duties ere they end this is confirmed by family praying at set times so may a Pastor by necessity of his office preach and pray at the beginning with much deadness and coldness and more then an ordinary straitning of spirit and yet a fire flaught of a heavenly kindling falls upon the spirit before the work be ended Any who believes that the wind blows where it lists and that the influences of the spirit are various as touching their degrees may see the truth of this 2. The children of God appear dead cold and unbelievingly to complain in the beginning of praying and of a Psalm as is clear in David Psal 22. 2. exponing that of him as some verity it hath in some points of him v. 2. and in Ezekiah in his song Isa 39. 10. in Jonah 2. 1 2 3. and in the same David Psal 6. Psal 38. in the Church Psal 77. 1 2 3 4 5 6 c. in the afflicted soul Psal 102. 1 2 3 4. and yet there is confidence of believing triumphing rejoycing in God and praising ere the Prayer and Psalm be ended 3. The prayers of the children of God Psal 22. Ps 6. Ps 38. Psal 116. Habak 1. 12. of Heman Psal 88. of Ezekiah Isa 38. of Jonah c. 2. of Moses Psal c. of the Church Psal 102. Psal 89. hold forth to us admirable variety of up-lifting and down-casting of joy of believing of sinking and doubting of hoping and legal fretting strong ebbing and flowing of faith and fainting of light and darknesse as Psal 22. 2. O my God I cry by day and thou hearest not and in the night season I am not silent yet arising ver 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Ver. 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them c. And again some fainting is in that v. 6. But I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people Ver. 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn c. At least this might brangle the faith of a sinful man such as David And again there is a rising v. 9 10. But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make
twelve ports the foundation of the wall garnished with all manner of precious stones the building of the wall of Jasper what a bride the Lamb's wife is as shee is busked and adorned with the glory of God what a joyful company of harpers cloathed in white follow the Lamb Rev. 14. Rev. 19. Yea 4. Even in this life in the lower countrey and the out-fields the fruits that grow in the land are good Rom. 14. 17. Gal. 5. 22. Psal 72. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 4 5 6. Psal 16. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 9. what a life-guard for Kings sons Isa 6. 2 3 4. Psal 34. 7. Psal 91. 11 12. and on the other hand what golden nothings and clay-dreams does the spirit of the world follow after what spiritual gallantry is in the man that says and resolves time and all that Solomon had shall not satisfie me I must either be a King above time or have nothing Will a beggar aspire to a Kingdom or a sow seek after pearls what does the spirit of the world but lie and swear and whore and oppresse in the sons of disobedience the godly is of a far more excellent spirit 5. It s a poor spirit that acts in Cicero Seneca and other Pagans the bastard and the servants priviledge is little to a Kings heir and son As to the second the differences of that Spirit which is of God are considerable 1. The spirit John 14. 17. remains in his own and dwels in them as in his house Rom. 8. 11. as a man remains and works in a shop or work-house and the soul lives breaths acts discourses in the man so the spirit of adoption prays groans believs teacheth witnesseth speaketh heareth in the believer Matth. 10. 19. Rom. 8. 16 25 26. Now the world cannot receive this spirit John 14. 27. no more then the noble soul of man can find lodging in a brute beast try what spirit acts in you and the principles of your actions and you shall know the influences Every mans moral actings are as John's baptisme from Heaven or of Men what sparkles of influences kindle the heart in your actings 2. The Spirit of God John 16. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall guide the way to you in all truth Rom. 8. 14. as many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as are led driven either as a flock by the shepherd or as a ship by the wind are the children of God The Spirit is a Pilot and a Steersman acting and moving in the Saints directing counselling enspiring in all actings its easie to know the spirits leading by what it drives at Rev. 16. 13. For they are the spirits of divels working miracles which go forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty This he says of the three unclean spirits like frogs the Popes firebrands and incendiaries who came out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet What hellish influences must drive these men delivered up to such leaders There is a spirit who rules in the children of disobedience Satan the Prince of the air Eph. 2. The spirit of giddinesse and errour leads Egypt Isa 19. 14. The spirit of whoredome Hos 4. 12. Hos 5. 4. that inclines to Idolatry The spirit of lying 1 Kin. 22. 22. The spirit of errour 1 John 4. 6. The spirit of unbelief that was in the ten spies led and drive many Num. 14. 24. But Caleb had another spirit with him It 's the sin of the time we live in to persecute resist the spirit and the more outlettings of the spirit that appear in Steven the more the Jewes set themselves against him For Acts 7. 27. they cry out with a loud voice and stop their eares and run upon him when he saw heaven open being full of the Holy Ghost he was before full of the Holy Ghost but now there is a high spring-tide and a new mighty flowing of the influences of the Holy Ghost and the height of goodnesse and excellent actings of the spirit drawes out their malice to the full as Steven told them 51. Ye have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to fall crosse with all the might in a hostile way upon the spirit O tremble to hate and fight against the marrow of godliness and to mock the spirit O that it were not this day the sin of Scotland and of the generality of the Ministers of the Gospel in this Land In the Prelates times the seekers of God met not with such bitternesse as even now they meet with 3. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Psal 51. 12. It 's proper to natural men in whom the spirit dwels not to be vile slaves to lusts and the more of the spirit in any the more active are they in the Lords wayes and hardly can the spirit be where there are not influences of grace For it 's the Spirits office to be stirring and active as the horses of Egypt are flesh and not spirit that is lumpish dead feeble unable to save not spirited active to deliver and in this especially the actings of the spirit appear in the fiery spiritness of heavenly influences Would ye be carried on and helped in duties get the spirit and ye cannot misse heavenly influences the drinesse of the earth speaks the suspending of rain and dew in the clouds and a heaven of brass the man is dead and under bands and straitned in prayer then must the showres of influences be restrained Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free spirit What then v. 13. Then I le teach transgressors thy wayes Take a work where there are an hundred wheels of which the higher moves the lower then when the first and highest moves not all the ninety and nine must stand When the spirit breathes not and influences are restrained what wonder if the soul be deadned For the Marigold loures and weeps in its kind and droops when the Sun is down our prayers would blow upon the North and South wind that they may blow The breathing and blowing of prayer do readily waken up the spirit though he must stir in praying also else we are dead and breathless 4. The spirit that is of God is a praying spirit Jude Praying in the Holy Ghost Of all the Tongues and Languages on earth the Holy Ghost loves most to speak prayer-wise and in the language of humble supplications Rom. 8. 29. We know not what we should pray for as we ought What then shall the work lie Nay the spirit takes it off the poor mans hand but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with sighs that cannot be expressed And rather or spiritual work be at a stand the Third Person lends a lift to the groaning soul that cannot pray
be assaulted that it may not fail them under temptation and so that prayer of Christ for the disciples and Peter stands good for all believers when they shall actually believe and be winnowed as Peter was the millions of them neither did believe nor were born when Christ as an high Priest offered to the father both the one the other prayer but that Christ in no sense intercedes for the chosen till they be converted and actually believe cannot be defended For 2. Whatsoever Christ hath purchased by the merit of his death as our high Priest offering himself on the cross for the elect that same Christ as our high Priest in heaven applyes them as Intercessor This proposition must be sure for what Christ purchaseth and buyeth by the merit of his death on the cross that he actually makes good as Intercessor in heaven It 's true he is said to buy and redeem persons not things or graces as faith and the habit of grace he purchaseth an inheritance and a redemption to us and we have repentance and remission of sins in and through his blood for in his blood by an Hebraism is for his blood and yet remission of sins is not properly redeemed or ransomed never being captivated but in justice that remission could not be ours but by satisfaction But so it is that Christ purchased by the merit of his death as our high Priest offering himself for the electâ—on the cross that we should be freed from all iniquity Tit. 2. 14. from our vain conversation of unbelief 1 Pet. 1. 18. that we should have repentance remission of our sins in his blood and faith the free gift of God in Christ even when we were not yet born And he died for us while we were yet sinners weak and ungodly Rom. 5. 6. And God commends his love to us that Christ died for us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while we were yet sinners for if when we were enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life If Christ as high Priest offer himself a sacrifice for us to obtain reconciliation to us when we were not born and when we were ungodly and enemie she must intercede that such a purchased reconciliation and merited grace the grace of faith and the habit of faith be in his due time bestowed on us 3. If Christ as our high Priest have received the elect from the Father Thine they were and thou gavest them to me and as Redeemer entrusted to bring them in he must send the Gospel to them as Mediator and intercede that Apostles Evangelists Pastors Teachers may be gifted with the Spirit and sent to preach for the giving of the Spirit that way is a fruit of Christs ascension and kingly triumphing while as he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men as Intercessor for perfecting of the Saints and the work of the Ministery Eph. 4. 11 12 13. that the Gentiles who believe not and the blind may see and be converted Acts 26. 17 18. Acts 13. 46 47 48. 1 Cor. 3. 5. Matth. 4. 15 16. John 10. 16. 4. Christ who had reared up a new form of providence having chosen his own to life must as Mediator take care of the coming of the elect into the world and have a special eye over the wayes of his own chosen that Saul and others fall not into that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost and that Saul before his conversion goe not farther on then making havock of the Church yet ignorantly through unbelief and this is the more to be laid hold on that the man Christs coming into the world is and goes along with his own decree of electing some to glory and to the great work of saving lost sinners Luke 19. 10. Matth. 20. 28. 1 Tim. 1. 15. of bearing a rare and singular testimony to the Gospel beyond all Martyrs that ever lived John 18. 37. as is clear in the birth and deliverance of Moses Exod. 2. Exod. 3. And also Christ in his providence of predestination to life as Lord Mediator causeth the chosen to be born and live when the Gospel is preached and comes to their ears and works powerfully on their hearts Acts 16. 9 10. Acts 8. 7 8. Acts 19. Acts 9. 11 12 13 c. 5. In another consideration there is an official love of Christ founded upon the identity of nature which is between Christ and chosen ones and the man Christ loving his neighbour as himself and the humanity and natural compassion in Christ is not destroyed but perfected by his state of glory he remains a feeling compassionate high Priest Heb. 4. 14 15. Luke 5. 1 2 3. And also this puts Christ to stretch his love to the unconverted that are his flesh and given to him that he must bestow habits of grace on them and gather the sheep with his arm and drive gently those that are with young and give new influences to fainting ones and refreshing warmnesse in his bosome to the cold and weak young ones in the flock Isa 40. 11. Isa 42. 1 2 3. 3. If the Spirit be a sanctifier and a leader he must be no less constant to his holy end and gracious designe to give what fits the chosen for their journey and so must both give the first anointing the dewing and first rain of spirit poured on the wildernesse and also add new oyl to prevent withering and drying up and adde the royal and kingly seal to confirm and make out his work unto the day of redemption Ah am I master of the fountain saith the withered dry tree yea the three Agents in heaven bring themselves to speak so under this holy necessity to bring down influences to the souls of all his chosen 2. If any saving work be in you it speaks a designe of grace in the Father and the Son which they shall ripen and carry on to perfection 3. Fret not at such as are without God minds love to the chosen ones of them and to reach them with his love in time 4. Get the Spirit he shall not be idle but daily act and Christ in him shall set up a new fabrick of providence and a new reign in the soul 5. In the looking on the frame of providence in them that they are not born in China not in Turky not in America but in a land of life in the kingdome of heaven where the Gospel is preached Look spiritually not naturally upon the time and place of your birth it is either the greatest good or the greatest ill and misery that ye can meet with 2. Consider what is the weight of the guiltinesse of 〈◊〉 despised Gospel that you goe to hell through Christs bounds Emanuels land where the word of the kingdom is preached in the very eye of the Redeemer whereas Heathens are in a manner behind the Redeemers back 3. The husbandmans
God of nature by a sort of necessity must give influences to the egg so prepared to be a living bird when the heart is boyling and seething with thoughts of the King the tongue is the pen of a ready writer When the heart is fixed Psal 57. 7. as if he were master of influences he humbly out of the abundance of the heart engageth to sing and give praise I my self will awake early There is here fire therefore the Lord shall blow upon his own kindling no question we may cast water on our own coals The heart of the two disciples is burning like an oven while Christ speaks to them by the way Luke 24. 31. yet they fortifie themselves and fetch reasons to strengthen unbelief so as they seem to fetch unbelief and unbelief comes not on them unsent for ver 21. We trusted that it was he who should have redeemed Israel we are beguiled This is the third day the women said he was risen again but none saw him Strangle not heavenly dispositions they shall break out Prop. 3. For the branches of enlargedness of heart there is a fulness of the holy Ghost in the Baptist in Steven which was not a transient disposition but a permanent habit but this breaks out in something more then an habit The Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson in mighty influences when he broke the cords and carried away the ports of the City Psal 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter like a boyling and seething pot and that puts him to speak of the King Elihu Job 32. 18. I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me 19. Behold my belly is as new wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles There was a heavenly spring a new fountain broken up in him and excellently beyond all the friends he pleads for the Lord his soveraignty O what fulness above measure above his fellows was in the man Christ the law was in his heart and the fulness of grace and as it were to overtake the running over well he takes whole nights to prayer and for Preaching and working miracles he hath not leisure to sleep or eat If there be a fire in Jeremiah's bowels what wonder then prophecying flame out of his mouth and he confess he was weary with forbearing Jer. 20. and God obtains his holy end The people are warned of their sin when Micah saith in opposition to the empty Prophets Micah 3. 6. But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of judgment and of might and that fulness fetches influences from heaven to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin This condemns the cold indifferent and dead actions of many who are far from that whatsoever ye doe doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the heart or soul which sayes some duties are soul-less actions and actions dead without heart and soul Isaiah would have us if we fast aright to give bread and not that only Isa 58. 10. but to draw out or vomit out so the word the soul to the hungry There is often great scarcity of the soul in our actions every acting in Gods way being an act of hypocrisie and a dumb and dead action When shall we lay the Lords glory to heart and do things from the soul Ah prayers without a soul what influences of grace are here hearing and no soul-hearing 2. There is a wideness and an all-ness in regard of wisedome Solomon had wisedome and largeness of heart as the sand that is on the Sea-shore 1 Kings 4. 29. So Paul Col. 1. 9. We cease not to pray that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedom Eph. 1. 8. Christ hath abounded overflowed to us in all wisedome and prudence Col. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisedome Here is wideness of heart 2. And Solomon was but a shadow and the sand of the sea which none can number a shadow of a shadow in comparison of Christ Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome And therefore he went about doing good up and down sowing good deeds to the world Acts 10. 38. Whom God anointed with the holy Ghost and with power Here is wideness of heart and abundance of influences and acting of good night and day 3. The wisedome of Angels is large Hence that wise as an Angel of God and also the fulness of God in their affections teacheth us that wideness of heart is outed in continual acting and so in multiplied breathings of God and Angels doe not walk and run onely but fly with wings cheerfully to doe the Lords will and what influences must be there when each having six wings they cease not night nor day to cry one to another Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts Almighty which was and which is to come the whole earth is filled with his glory Rev. 48. Isa 6. 3. 4. The glorified see him face to face that is wideness of heart and they serve him night and day and weary not Rev. 14. 2 3 4. Rev. 7. 9. 5. The more the Prophets and Apostles saw of God the more the heart is enlarged to teach and to warn every man Col. 1. 3. There is an enlargement of heart in loving Christ and in the experimental knowing and feeling thereof and in godly fear and joy Eph. 4. 19. Paul prays that the Ephesians may comprehend the love in all the dimensions of it That ye may be able to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled not that it may be in you but be filled 2. with fulness that is a wide fill 3. with the fulness of God that is yet wider 4. with all the fulness of God and then follow influences above the prayers of the godly v. 20. He is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us Of the latter Isa 60. 5. when the Gentiles shall be brought in to the Church Thou shalt see and flow together thine heart shall fear and be enlarged And hence wideness of heart in acting the Church shall willingly receive them and with joy also and hold open their gates night and day v. 11. and influences of grace and glory shall so be rained on the Church that her Sun shall no more goe down nor her Moon withdraw it self v. 20. All her people shall be righteous 21. A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation Nor shall they be weary in running Psal 92. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing The oyl burns and the oyl grows for Isa 40. 31. They shall run and not be weary A glimmering of newes come that Christ is risen and John and Peter try their speed who shall be first at the grave and Magdalen outruns
thorn-tree brings forth a thorn-tree and the thistle-seed a thistle it 's clear in Cain the Pharisees So gracious dispositions produce acts of love faith hope godly sorrow works of righteousnesse and mercy As wine-grapes grow out of the vinetree and the Lord fits influences of grace for such dispositions like sowing like harvest and here also men gather not figs of thistles the vessel smells of good or sour wine Some must foam out their own shame and all wonder at the gracious words that proceed out of Christs mouth For dispositions in Christ were strong habits of grace and the running-over fountain and fulnesse of the holy Ghost the savour of the breath of the anointing and the dispositions that accompany the fulnesse of the holy Ghost is a very garden and a heaven and here there is some truth in that Cant. 2. 13. The vines with the tender grapes give a good smell Cant. 5. 8 9 10 11. Psal 45. 1 2 3 4. 2. Psal 119. 136. Rivers of teares run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Some fountaines that are lesse have small streams and ebb-brooks other large fountains have mighty rivers and floods issuing from them we may judg what a fountain both of habits dispositions are within where there comes out joy unspeakable and full of glory leaping for joy fulness of assurance like a ship with full sails and full wind As fulnesse of love and of all spiritual dispositions of tendernesse must be in the bowels and heart of Christ who sends out acts of enduring pain blood shame death horrour of wrath and the curse of a revenging God for sin The love of Christ needs no exhortation to acts of love nor is there need of earnest request and intreaties to the fire to cast out heat and the Sun to give light need you exhort an extreme pined-away sick man to be pained and weak or request the Sunne to shine How mighty and strong are the acts of longing and languishing after Christ that flow from love-sicknesse and then what suitable influences of grace must goe along with these actings what pullings of strength to pluck up mighty cedars what an influence of love in God to bear up all things and so to bear mountaines to bear torments to bear new deaths O what a mighty arm of omnipotent grace Col. 1. 11. Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness A power above all that we think or ask Thoughts even of men can goe far and far in apprehending of power and strength ever that can remove out of their place as many millions of mountains and whole earths as Angels and men can write on the outmost and highest heavens East West South and North. Suppose they were all paper and double and treble and multiply them again to millions of millions of heavens and writ new figures of signes and excellencies on them yet the power of grace furnishing influences is above these acts of thinking and counting and yet the short thinkings of unbelief are at this can he help me to spit at fame glory riches and a whole earth of pleasures know ye his strength and his mighty puls that have translated many 3. When the disposition of grace is on a small object brings forth suitable actings Christ lets out one cast of his eye upon Peter and he went out and wept bitterly a small shake of the tree brings down ripe apples they fall of their own accord a gentle quiet gale of wind will cause a light swift vessel to make twice as much way as a huge ship a rent in the garment of a deadly enemy seemes a small transgression but to David it hath a mighty smiting of heart We are afraid to come under the pull of Christs arm as if it were pain and death to be loved and translated by Christ John 5. 40. Isa 30. 10. Jer. 51. 9. Ezek. 24. 13. Some will not be cured and are averse from being drawn to come to Christ and be saved and an hating of meanes is a virtual hating of the sweet and special alluring attractions of grace and we value actings of grace at so low a rate as if we could doe all our alone by pure nature I my self will awake early What was David sleeping or his tongue sleeping or his harp sleeping yea even when the heart is prepared and strongly fixed to praise there is some sleepinesse on the man I insist not on this that none run so swiftly for the price and wager of glory but a cramp or a stitch may come on so as they need a spur and turn dull and slow But the 5th Property of a heavenly disposition is to cause the man reflect upon himself and his own sleepinesse 8 my self will awake early What if tongue and voice awake what if harp and the gift of musick wake if mans heart sleep 1. Grace hath an immanent working and a reflect acting on it self and the mans own heart as well as a transient and a direct acting the vessel of honour or the chosen man purgeth himself 2 Tim. 2. 21. And every man that hath this hope purifies himself even as he also is pure 1 John 3. 3. Jude exhorts so v. 10. Building up your selves on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost Some think if the holy Ghost act pray sigh believe praise in them they need to doe nothing the holy Ghost prayes in me and in my stead Nay but Jude wills you to edifie your self the actings and influences of the holy Ghost are not given to this end that we should sleep and sport and play 21. Keep your selves in the love of God Will not the love of God keep the man in the love of God Shall not Christ in you the hope of glory keep Christ himself in you nay what need were there then of watching Watch thou in all things 1 Tim. 4. 16. Take heed to thy self and to thy doctrine Then may one take heed to reading and not take heed to himself Acts 20. 28. Paul to the Elders of Ephesus Take heed to your selves and to the flock They shall not heedfully watch over the flock who doe not carefully watch over themselves Is this right that men should doubt of the influences of God and fear that God forgets himself and his own begun work of grace and never fear their own lazy back-drawing Why but we should be on our wings and waken our selves and crow more loudly It 's a gracious complaint Cant. 1. 6. My mothers children were angry with me they made me the keeper of the vineyards but mine own vineyard have I not kept Ask hourly what your own heart does how the husbandry at home thrives The Spirit of the Lord was in Jehoshaphat without doubt but 2 Chro. 20. 3. When he heard of the host coming against him he feared and set himself to seek the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord came
the solemn marriage betwixt Christ and the Bride the Lambs wife without parting for ever Rev. 22. 12. Behold I come quickly 17. And the Spirit and the Bride say Come And let him that heareth say Come And v. 20. Surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus These five comes speak loves desire upon the Bridegrooms side and upon the Brides side in love-sickness 1. How sweet is it when pain it self makes prayers to Christ and want speaks to riches death and deadness to him who is the resurrection and the life 2. Yet sense alone speaking often mistakes and chides yea impatient sense mistaking the wise and holy dispensation of God for Christs absence is wise but not unkind and void of love he does not ever absent himself because he is angry or hates such from whom he withdraws his influences but to increase hunger and lively desire And 3. Holy missing of Christ 2. Careful seeking Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Cant. 5. 6 7 8. And 3. Strong desires of love-sickness are more solid and edifying graces then feeling sense and comfort of his presence as we use them and these are often stronger when Christ is absent then present and so the influences of the spirit that accompany missing of Christ 2. Seeking of him 3. And impatient longing for him are more useful then influences that accompanies sense See how lively they are in David when he wants Sanctuary-presence Psal 42. 1 2. Psal 63. 1 2. Psal 84. 1 2 3 4. In the Spouse Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Cant. 5. 6 7 8. compared with v. 10 11 12 13 c. Sense never brings forth such a love-song so highly extolling Christ as faith under absence 3. Strong believing and resting upon the promises when the Lord hides himself under love-sickness and apprehended wrath fetch sweeter influences then sense of presence as may be clear in the godly who 1. move questions yet so as love and faith encline most to the edifying conclusion and to faiths side rather then to the judgement of sense Psalm 71. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever faith under a cloud believeth he will not cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore 9. Hath God forgotton to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies In these questions the flesh and unbelieving sense have a great hand the question in sense includes this Is the Lord the Lord and pure faith never moves such a question as that but the aim and scope of faith is to beat down such questions and the sense of faith in these is the Lord hath not cast off for ever the Lord will not leave off to be gracious for ever and ever his mercy is not clean gone his promise and covenant is everlasting and fails not 2. Under the sense of wrath faith eying the nature of God revealed in his word corrects sense Lam. 3. 8. When I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayers Ah no v. 25. The Lord is good to them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him that is a harbour in place of a rock 2. He was unto me as a Bear lying in wait and as a Lion in secret places Ah not so v. 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore I will hope in him These are strong and edifying influences of grace under absence 9. What is thy beloved more then another beloved This is not the speech of enemies for they discern her to be the fairest among women and see heavenly beauty and grace in the Spouse 2. They are daughters of Jerusalem professors that seek the beloved with her c. 6. v. 1. yet they are less spiritual and more carnal then the Spouse For 1. They perceive her in a passion and they meet her with a sort of passion What is your Beloved whereof is your Christ made of more then ours either enemies or believers in so far as they are carnal or apt to mistake a spiritual state so must the world say of Noah who was just in his time sure the world thought him too just he 'll build an Ark and he 'll have all the world to be drowned but himself and his house Hence Jeroboams word 1 Kings 12. 28. It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem Why and the Lord commanded them doth God command too much is the Lord too strict So Satan Gen. 3. 1. yea hath God said ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden that is a strict Law-giver who laies bands on your eating of fruit which he hath created to be eaten The believing disciples Matth. 15. 23. Send her away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she cries and troubles us with her prayers Were there not some godly who might think Daniel needed not cry his prayers out at his window he might pray and not blow a trumpet There is an Idol called discretion and moderation pray profess Christ leisurely we think to be saved and come to heaven as well as you O what precise lips were Davids I will not name Baal with my lips Psal 16. 4. It 's too great Morosity for Moses to say to a King Not a hoof shall bide in Egypt What matter of cowes if the Church of God be brought out of the house of bondage what if there were not one Israelites four-footed beast breathing on earth so the Church live And 1. Men that find fault with too much zeal and cry moderation look to that walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 5. 15. strictly precisely numbring all your foot-steps then shall we be called heady precise fools Nay walk as wise men not as fools 2. Moderate professors stint themselves this I le do and no more it shall do my business Ah speak of influences of grace the ebbing and flowing of spirits the breathings of Christ the Kings chambers the house of wine these are imaginations preach fundamentals faith and repentance what should more such truths as are beyond fundamentals are not necessary obliterate them out of the Scripture that eight souls were saved in the Ark sure it is not fundamental many are saved who know it not yet if any say its not necessary necessitate praecepti he is like a man who pulls off the covering off the house and saith what aileth you I touch not any foundation-stone of the house I hurt not the building What is thy Beloved All professors see not with one measure of light the Spouse is a wonder to many professors not so acquainted with Christ some are led to heaven through much love-sickness and pain and others with stronger influences of grace upon the soul then others it rebukes such as are censorious and uncharitable to others because they have not thronged through the same needle-eye with themselves Ah! 1. How many cast we out that Christ receives in Rom. 14. 3. Luke 7. 39. 2. We look to
Rev. 2. 5. But that proves nothing it 's because the elect in that place doe fail and there be not any chosen thereto called 5. Nor should the glory of conversion be due to the grace of God but to our well-guiding free-will and to the works of righteousnesse that we had done contrary to 2 Tim. 1. 9. Tit. 3. 3. Eph. 2. 4 5. if we could procure by our good endeavours our own conversion 6. But so much the man fallen in sin is under the state of enterditement as the eldest Son of a King who is a fool is declared an idiot and the government not committed to him In the Gospel the Lord hath declared man a simple fool and laid the Princedome of grace and glory upon the Catholick Tutor and chief heir Christ Jesus yet we fools will needs be Masters and Free-men before we have served our apprenticeships Gladly would we be from under the dominion of Christ and free grace and be our own yea even fools and mad men take it not well to be fettered and in bands 7. Influences of free grace and the gracious actings of the spirit are paid for by the price of blood Heb. 13. 15. Let us by him then offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually Phil. 4. 18. Heb. 13. 15 20 21. 2 Thess 2. 16. The budding and blooming of the branch in every act of growing depends upon the immediate impulsions of life and from the sap of life that is in the root and the vine-tree Christ Assert 2. But the habit and seed of God being within though the indisposition be great yet we would act doe well 2. Because a natural heat in literal stirring doth pre-paratively work upon the soul though not by way of any Gospel-promise to make it ready to receive an influence of believing Moses his wondering at the bushes burning and it was not consumed made him draw near to see more of God and the acting of faith and wondering ripened Christs hearers for influences of believing so Cant. 5. 6. Moving of the bowels makes way for influences of opening to let the Beloved in and of praying and seeking 2. The very noise and literal stirrings in these actings have far-off acting upon the dead habit to awake it up so beating of the lump of perfume wakens up the smell The blowing of the wind on the garden of delicious flowers extracts sweet smelling the first three or four throwings of the iron bolt in the ship brings not out water but five or six causes the water to flow out apace The two disciples conferring Luke 24. concerning Christ crucified seem cold and indifferent yea there is much unbelief and deadnesse on the Spirit v. 21. We trusted that it should have been he which should have restored Israel though they say he was a Prophet mighty in word and deed before God and all the people v. 19. Yet their speech saith their heart was very cold concerning his office as Redeemer and concerning his Resurrection but they goe on in the conference and pursue the duty though literally till he begun v. 25 26 27. to open the Scriptures to them and then the heart begins to burn with heat v. 32. It 's considerable that the woman of Samaria's is very literal at the beginning and only concerning Jacobs well yet she going on in the conference there comes a warmnesse and a liking and a seeking of the water of life and a discerning of Christ to be a Prophet and at length a warmnesse of faith in believing him to be Christ and a leaving of the water-pot and a running to the City to invite others to come to Christ Here it is that the first three or four steps bring not heat upon the man but to walk a mile brings warmnesse To strike the flint oftner then once brings out fire at length and when there is a kindled and a fixed habit of grace and gracious dispositions flamings of heavenly dispositions follow apace because creation is a mids to the execution of the decree of predestination to life eternal therefore he who in predestination to life giveth his own to Christ John 17. 2 6 11 12. v. 6. hath established a new supernataral providence or a providence of redemption different from that providence of God Creator which should have been if Adam had never sinned Of this providence these Scriptures are to be understood John 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work Col. 1. 16. All things were created by him and for him 17. He is before all things and in him all things consist Hence Rev. 3. 14. He is the beginning of the Creation of God Col. 1. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God the first born of every creature Rev. 21. 5. And he that sate upon the throne said Behold I make all things new Heb. 1. 3. Vpholding all things by the word of his power 1. As by the first fall all things fell 2. The first Adam was the publick catholick misguiding Tutor who marred and destroyed all and the Creation and the workmanship of heaven and earth was made subject to vanity because of mans sin and is now as a woman travelling in birth crying in pain under corruption and vanitie Rom. 8. 20 21 22. So the second Adam coming to the throne made a new heaven and a new earth and as a Midwife to the travailing woman brings forth the birth the free sons of God carries on the work in bringing the man Christ in the world for the man Christ is not created and brought in the world by God simply as Creator and Law-giver by the covenant of works but by God as now acting to redeem the world and making a new Creation and a new world 3. Hence the blessing of the creature and of the earth which was under a curse for mans sin Gen. 3. 17 18. is now from Christ whom he hath appointed heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. and by reason of Christs reigning and sitting at the helm of the world and governing all things all the creatures because of this King are called to rejoyce as Psal 96. 11. Let the heaven rejoyce aâ—d the earth be glad let the Sea roar and the fulness thereof 12. Let the field rejoyce and all that is therein then shall all the trees of the wood rejoyce Psalm 98. 8. Let the floods clap their hands let the hills be joyful together See Isa 49. 13. Isa 65. 7. Jer. 31. 11 12 13. 4. And look as when a Kings son and heir is married all the servants and Courtiers are cloathed in Scarlet and gorgeous apparel So when Christ is declared Mediator husband and head of the body the Church the whole servants of the creation have a new right through Christ the heir of all to the liberty of the sons of God and to be delivered from bondage And hence the Saints have a right through Christ to the influences of this new providence the chief of which
as Hilarius and Prosper witness God did predestinate to glory such only as he fore saw before the world was should believe and persevere to the end and that God will have all and every one to be saved and that God bestows grace upon all and every man and Pelagians and Jesuits shall find a market for merits and men shall be Lords and carvers of heaven and hell and stewards absolute and soveraign of their own salvation and damnation What more can be said to blow up and make proud silly free-will PART IV. CHAP. I. Of the impediments of heavenly influences upon the soul in general and of their cure 2. There be much using of means and no influences 3. Means would be used in much humility 4. We may marre influences of grace IT is not to be thought that influences being acts of omnipotency can properly be hindered but by way of promise and judicial threatning he hath revealed in his word that he will give grace to the humble and resist the proud James 4. 6. 1 Pet. 5. 5. and that he will guide and teach the meek and lowly Psalm 25. 9. he certainly promiseth influence of grace to the meek Hence 1. Quest Whether God gives ordinarily and always influences of grace at or in the using of means 2. Whether men can hinder the holy influences of God 3. What are the impediments in the soul in general and their cures with them 4. What are the impediments in special and their cures As to the first of these four the following conclusions may be considered 1. Concl. Often God reveals himself 1. To Moses waiting on his herding Exod. 3. he appears to him in the bush he reveals Christ to the Disciples while they are mending their nets the Angels declare to the shepheards the birth of Christ while they attend their flocks yet is there no necessary connexion betweene the one and the other But could we in conscience and in reference to God while we are yet in the state of unrenewed nature attend our callings we might lie neerer to the Son of righteousness and his influences of grace a sluggard spirituall may fear spiritual and judicial want of grace Ass 2. There is somtime much seeking of Christ and no finding Cant. 3. 1 2. for a time Magdalen is early up in the morning and finds for the present in lieu of Christ an empty grave and grave-cloaths only There is much crying to God and for the time no hearing Psal 22. 2. Psal 69. 1 2 3. It 's here as in other means early up much labouring no bread and the runner getteth not the garland The Lord will have 1. free grace to shine above our sweating 2. He will have us not to sacrifice to the creature and created diligence and to painful seeking and will have us to learn our folly who place our mercy and will have our Heaven to stand in running and willing and not in his free compassion Esa◠runs and hunts and obtains not the blessing Jacob stirs less and is blessed I speak it not to cry down means but to cry up Christ and free grace The Lord seems to forbid Jacob to pray Let me go for the day dawneth but he rather encourageth him to pray but he teacheth that God's hearing and blessing is more then my tears and wrestling 3. The Lord would have us to examine whether it be a humble and believing using of means that we go about or not The repenting Thief in three hours upon the Cross runs and the same day gets Paradise and many have a fair wind and sail seventy years in a profession yea hear much and believe not and the ship is broken and the man perishes For Matth. 8. 11. many shall come from the East and the West and sit down at table with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the children of the Kingdome who were first called and in before them shall be cast into utter darknesse Do not some sail much and promove nothing to the harbour Read Rom. 9. 31 32. Ah tremble to see a man believed to have many thousands and a great stock in four in seven ships and yet the man goes a begging Ass 3. Some means are cursed of God and God sends judicial influences upon them Divels believe and horrour take hold on them Felix hears and trembles and shifts influences of believing Concl. 4. Where common influences are not entertained they produce loathing of and stumbling at the word in Capernaum the day of grace in the Gospel to Capernaum is the year of vengeance despise not if ye wonder O dreadful yea wonder and despise and hate Concl. 5. The more spiritual the actings of God are such as are Gospel-influences leading to 1. illumination and clear light 2. to astonishment and to wondering 3. to strong conviction they must be more spiritual especially above law-influences upon Barbarians and the more direful effects they work when the excellent element air or water is made contagious it is the more pestilentious and corrupt how doe diseases and pests rage were the element of water which is so excellent and useful turned into blood how unpleasant would it be to drink of it Who knows what influences of wrath follow the Pharisees hearing and hating of Christ and the Gospel the disposition of Children new born were good in hearing and James his word c. 1. 21. is very useful that we receive the engrafted word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in meeknesse otherwise ill soyl marrs the seed and renders it unprofitable and the good seed makes the soyl worse Concl. 6. We are so to use means in godly trembling in humility in faith as to look that the Lord will send showrs upon his own husbandry and malicious hearers are to be affraid that rain dew summer showrs shall cause the bad earth cast up more abundantly briars nettles and the like As to the 2. Though the procuring of influences be above our reach except in the way spoken of yet a small touch of an unskild man may marre the work of an Horologue that it cannot act but much art is required to temper it it 's in the power of a child with little strength to put a small stone in the wards of a lock so it can neither open nor shut we can marre our own comfort and the work of salvation and then complain of God to God as Matth. 25. 25. and the damned in Hell complain that God gives not sufficient means who denyes to send Preachers from the dead to them and gives them a dry and dead book of Moses and the Prophets to give them warning Luk. 16. 29 30. No husband-man can hinder the rain to fall the corn to grow nor the Sun to send down beams and influences of heat and life upon the earth nor can Saul in the rage of his persecution hinder Christ to shoot his arrowes at him Acts 9. Such as complain most of God are really most naughty and may sooner
cannot a soul filled with hellish and divelish sorrow such as was the case of wakened Judas receive influences of the Spirit to see a pierced Lord and to be in bitterness as one is for his only son Zech. 12. 10. but must despair and receive influences of hell for hardness and impenitency Obj. But we see the Church lament 3. very unbelievingly quarrelling with God v. 8. When I shout and cry he shutteth out my prayer 10. He was unto me as a Bear lying in wait and as a Lion in secret places And v. 18. I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Yet verse 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him then doth not unbelief and sorrow of sad and half despairing so incapacitate and deaden the soul to receive influences of believing Answ There is a far other consideration of a soul under prevailing corruption that is either yet not converted and of a converted man under a strong prevailing temptation when two contrary champions the flesh and the spirit are standing in battel array in the fields each one enemy attending the motions of another as in the former consideration there is a great difference betwixt green timber dry withered fewel or betwixt dry fire-wood fewel though dry yet soaked some days in water in this ease influences of the spirit from heaven influences of the flesh from hell do not so quickly exchange lodgings and go and come to and from divers subjects neither an unrenewed man nor a David under prevailing lust are such fitly disposed fields for showres of influences as in a moment they can cast off deadness and put on a spiritual disposition to receive influences of grace though there be an active celerity on the Spirits part for he can go and come quickly and this is to be seen in a soul under spiritual exercise even now there is a sad complaining I said in my haste I am â—ast out from before thy face and yet with the same breath nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication Then under sense of being cast out of Gods favour there are also influences to pray and to pray in faith and when the Christian fainting saith My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Lam. 3. 18. she also saith The Lord is my portion saith my soul v. 24. It 's clear then that fainting and feeling are neer to other and so influences for the one and for the other are neer to other the quickness and celerity of influences is evident in the suddain ups and downs of the soul as the shining of the Sun in March and the showring of the clouds are so neer to other he comes in his shinings as a fire-flaught in the midst of our sad louring and dumpish deadness and when the Lord pleaseth his visits are speedy and swift CHAP. III. How the soul is under plenty of means and dispositions heavenly and yet under scarcity of influences 2. Praying and love to the word according to the will of precept all along through Psalm 119. 3. Delighting in the word reading and meditating thereon fetch heavenly influences 4. Hence 18. obstructions of influences 1. Hardness and blindness 2. Vnbelief 3. Deadness 4. Security 5. Irreligious prophaness and Atheism 6. Vnconstancy 7. Deceitfulness 8. Pride 9. Worldly-mindedness 10. Fiery preposterous zeal 11. Vncleanness 12. Malice and bitterness 13. Worldly sorrow 14. False joy 15. Self-love 16. Wilful ignorance of the Gospel and hatred of Christ 17. Impatient fretting against providences the contraries of all which help to fetch heavenly influences Lasty the Lords manner of contributing his influences makes us not passive lumps and blocks the word shews that God lays a holy necessity on our will so that we are most willing and free agents in spiritual actings 18. Vain and wanton thoughts obstruct influences THe heart as including will and mind and affections is the publick Inne and lodging that receives all influences 1. There is a sweet proportion betwixt the influences of the spirit and the new heart Quest How is it then that the soul is under sweet dispositions and plenty of means and yet wants influences Answ This is to shew the absolute freedom of grace as Cant. 1. the Spouse is in a sweet condition Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for his love is better then wine 3. Because of the savour of thy good oyntments thy name is oyntment poured out therefore do the virgins love thee 4. The King brought me into his chambers yet she stands in need of a pull draw me v. 7. Tell thou me O thou whom my soul loves where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon-day Here is a soul in love longing to be embraced and kissed smelling Christs precious oyntments taken in to the Kings chamber yet the prayer to be drawn and to be instructed where to find him teacheth that some are at the well-head and yet thirsty and in Christs banqueting house and yet the praying of such to be drawn speaks want of influences and hunger for more except Christ intimately apply his influences to will and to do Cant. 2. 4. He brought me into his banqueting house his banner over me was love 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me What is here wanting is not this paradise come down from heaven but the prayer v. 5. Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love is a strong evidence that the Spouse even in Christs arms and in his house of wine where are all the refreshments of heaven is not sick only but fallen into a deep swoon if Christ hold not up the head and stay the soul with quickning influences what then could you make of heaven it self and of Christs sweetest embracements if he teach not how to improve the fulness of this free love in sweetest actings of heavenly duties When John is in heaven and sees heavens glory yet if the present actings of the spirit go not betwixt him and Angel-worship he roves influences must then make Christ to be Christ and heaven to be heaven and the Spirit must open and let out upon the withered soul streams of the well of life otherwise there is the banqueting house of wine and there is yet the hungry and swooning Spouse there is heaven and fulness of glory and there is yet miscarrying John grace must make it self our grace and he will have us to know to whom we owe the thanks both of Christ and of the outletting and emanations of free grace and of the well of life and of the flowings and streamings of that fountain and so the created habit of grace is not to be rested on but Christ acting in his free grace is all in all 2. The Lord gives influences according to his will of pleasure but we must stir and pray and act according to
due to him Gracious influences are not due to a Judas nor such a guide as the Spirit to any reprobate man therefore they cannot misse such a gracious guide 2. It teaches us to be willing to be led as to 1. Deny our will and wisedome as the blind man should not contend with his leader and guide as if he did see better then his guide Slack your high-bended will and deny it and cavil not with the Spirit this way I must goe whether my guide will or not Let your will be as dead and no will at all and let the Spirit in his will and wisedome reign in you 2. Spread out the sails and give them to the wind resign the heart to the Spirit obey that My son give me thy heart Give Christ your loves as Cant. 7. 12. Keep none of your heart or love to your self but quit fully both to the leading Spirit of Jesus Your love and your heart according to the Gospel-dispensation is not your own or at your disposing whatever property naturall by law you have over your self for the law buyes you not We are less our own and more Christs by the Gospel and more our own by the Law Many profess themselves sons and so to be led by the Spirit yet they have not given eyes wisedome will and love to the Spirit they keep a great piece of their heart and their love to themselves and have an inward reluctancy and wrestling against the wayes of the Spirit as yet remaining debtors to the flesh to pay the debt of service to the flesh Rom. 8. 12 13 14. 5. This is comfortable that Christ makes it the travail of his soul Isa 53. 11. and his soul-satisfaction to see his seed and to bring many children to glory Heb. 2. 10. So his soules work is upon keeping such as are given to him and guiding on his flock John 10. 3 4. in going before his own sheep in calling them by name and in leading them 2. He keeps such as come and raiseth them up at the last day John 6. 37 40. 3. He guides them with prayers John 14. 16. intercedes for them to reduce them when they goe out of the way Heb. 5. 1 2. and all this with soul-satisfaction and delight to get all his off-spring and children which the Lord hath given to him fairly landed and set in the other side of the sea beyond temptations and hazards beyond sin and death as he hath a fellow-feeling and compassion his bowels being moved even now in heaven with our infirmities Heb. 4. 14 15. so far as is suitable to his glorified state as our great High-Priest which hath passed into the heavens So his other affections of desire as our head and natural and kindly care to have all his members guided safe in at the gates of heaven and he must have much soul delight and satisfaction that his own be led with his holy arm and gathered in Isa 40. 10 11. We have a loose faith the head shall care and watch for us though we sleep that is Christ is graciously careful to give influences whether we sleep or wake pray or pray not our care can adde nothing to his care if he will fail in his trust and sleep and let us perish let him see to his own glory two cares one in the head and another in the members are needless nay but his love and care as head sends down influences of godly fear and trembling to the members that they may work with him Jer. 32. 40. 2. Our weakness of faith errs in the other extremity Ah can my deadness and hardness be ever subdued If Christ once sighed for the hardness of sinners hearts and wept over the slain of Jerusalem and counted it meat and drink to bring in the Samaritans to the Gospel John 4. 34. Now when Christ is glorified and the affections of love compassion care are perfected in glory not destroyed should our unbelief say he now cares not for the hard heart and obstinacy of his redeemed ones If thy unbelief must take all the care off Christ and our unbelieving care must doe all let Christ sleep 3. There is a proportion betwixt head and members the soul-travel of the head in heaven and the soul-travel of the members on earth in the use of all meanes hearing praâ—ing praising goe together Awaking head and sleeping members are unsutable He watches prays and watch ye with him and pray FINIS Joan. Strangius de voluntate actionibus dei circa peccatum l. 2. c. 9. p. 211. Sequitur dari priorem actionem cur voluntas Adam elegerit primum actum vitiosum quecunque ille sit nempe quia deus cum praemovit ac praedeterminavit ad istam electionem aut Actionem c. See Rivetn in Cath. orthodoxo tom 2. Q 6. tract 4. n 33. Meratins tom 1. tract de bonitate mal hum acta dispu 11. sc 7. n. 4. Strangius Stranguis ib. Strangius de vol. Act. dei circa p. l. 2. Strangius ib. Strangius de voluntate actio dei circa peccata l. 2. c. 9. p. 214. 2 2. cedit tertia necessitas ex eorum sententia qui dicunt prius ratione nam Deus decreverit condere ante citra peccati eorum praevisioneÌ„ aut considerationem Deum ad manifestandam gloriam justitiae misericordiae craedestinasse ex angelis hominibus alios ad faelicitatem aeternam alios autem improbasse aeternis poenis adjudicandos non potuit fieri ut hoc decretum ex equeretur ex equitur enim Deus quicquid decrevit Non Potuit autem exequi si nullum fuisset peccatum hominum aut Angelorum omnio enim decreta dei samâ— libera sed ex hypothesi unius decreti fit ut aliud necessario ponendum sit ex vi ergo hujus decreti necesse erat ut homo angeli aliqui peccarent God intended that no man should be saved by the law True liberty Grace loves to be restrained from doing evil That the first Adam was to pray for perseverance is not clear Adam was to rely on God for perseverance but as promised by the covenant of works Our grace in the second Adam choicer then that in the first The Lords influences in all Divers write and assert there is not such a thing imaginable as the Lord 's invincible predetermination of second causes but it s but a simple denial of the conclusion Let any man show me how the Lord 's soveraign dominion in procuring all the actings of Angels and Men and of natural causes to be or not to be as pleaseth the Soveraign Lord who doth what he will in Heaven and Earth can stand unhurt and stand it must if ye remove the Lords insuperable predeterminating thereof or some act like this by which all must come to passe or not come to passe as holy Soveraignity will and I shall be silent the arguments for his Dominion being
the body of the World or great All and the highest Heaven round about Isa 40. 12 17. the number of Angels good and evil of men of beasts birds fishes creeping things he tells the number of the Stars whether odd or even and calleth them by their names Psal 147. 4. and Soveraignty could have made their number greater by seventy seven Millions so he knows the number of trees herbs flowers leaves of trees piles or threds of grass the number of actions motions intentions purposes of Men and Angels actual and only possible and impossible but never to fall out all the stirrings in Heaven and Earth Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite Psal 147. 5. 2. He decreed twelve thousand of every Tribe to be sealed a certain number for an uncertain he wrote so many not one more nor fewer Why are many called and few chosen the blessed number of Persons by Country House Head Name to be bought by the ransome of Christ's bloud is agreed upon between the Father and the Son not one more paid for and ransomed not one fewer the number of the Citizens were agreed upon they are not moveable Tenants the Lord loves not to put out or to put in none can take your chair and Crown in Heaven it s a deep to consider how millions of millions of influences and stirrings the Soveraign Lord laid up beside himself from eternity to let out upon his hosts of Creatures and especially Men and Angels and a treasure of influences of grace are with him would we bring our witherednesse under these eternal dewings we should have more of the anointing 3. The Lord's Soveraignty decreed not things only but the connexion of things as between Bread and Wine used according to the Lord's Institution and the broken Body and shed bloud of Christ they suit not together of their own Nature and Essentially therefore by the intervening will of God 2. In things of remote nature this is seen 2 Kings 13. 19. If thou had smitten the ground five or six times then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou had consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice The connexion of the Kings smiting of the ground and of smiting of the Syrians is not from the nature of the things themselves but from the free appointment of God if Christ talk with the woman of Samaria and ask of her a Drink of water he shall convert her and the Samaritans before he leave her If Job be spoiled he shall humbly submit himself to God and bless him There may be more or less conveniency between the things but all the connection of things in this kind might in their contraries have been as true if so holy Soveraignty had appointed 3. He who decrees the existence of things in time and place he decrees the co-existence of the same things Now that Joseph should be the subject matter of killing or selling when the Ishmalites came by and that Ahasuerus cannot sleep in the night when that very passage of the Persian Chronicle must be read in the which is the story of Mordecai's loyal revealing the treason was from him and they were tied together by no nature of things by no influences of Planets and Stars but by the Soveraign will of God now the co-existence of things is a real event of providence as is clear It s from the Lord that Peter and Paul lived together in the same age and time and Abraham and David lived not together and from the holy decree of God that Jezebels body be cast out when there is none willing to bury her and from the holy decree of God that the Souldiers came with Spears to break the Legs of Christ and that they find him dead and so break not one bone of him yea the existence and living and acting of all things and the co-existence living and working together of them are from the same providence of God or then from nature or from the blind fortune neither of which we can say and who appoints the meeting of two Seas or the meeting of two Rivers or of two Men at the same place or that the new Star should be in Cassiopeia rather then in another part of the Firmament doth not David bless the Lord who sent Abigail to meet him with a counsel of peace then must these confluences and co-existences of things be written in the Lord's book and so decreed Psal 139. 16. and from the Creator God as the efficient and for God and his glory as the end Rom. 11. 36. Rev. 4. 11. Prov. 16. 4. 5. The wisedom of God so appoints as means for his end that black and white should be in the same body for beauty the poor and the rich the full and the hungry to try the charity of the rich and patience of the poor that some should weep some sing and rejoyce at the laying of the foundation of the second Temple Ezra 3 6. Some of these are acts of mercy Jesus cometh by the way and two blind men sit by the way Matthew Zacheus are in such places and Christ comes by and saves both the one and the other 7. Some are acts of justice as the falling of a piece of a milstone by a womans hand and Abimelech's near approaching to the Tower that a woman might kill him who might twenty other ways have died if the Lord did not rule all the going of Achab to the war 2. The arrow at a venture shot at Achab and passing by hundreds 3. The arrow directed to the one only naked part of his body 4 The washing of the wounds in such a Pool in the field of Jezreel 5. The Dogs licking of the bloud of Achab are all so linked together by the Lord 's holy and just Decree as this is clear if Achab go to the War against the Syrians the Dogs shall lick his bloud and he shall die in the battel 8. The administration of the means of salvation to Capernaum not to Tyrus and Sidon which would rather have repented then Capernaum does prove this is from the Lord if Peter hear the Lord shall effectually perswade him to believe if Cain Pharaoh Judas hear the Lord shall not effectually perswade them to believe The Lord commands reprobates to repent and believe if they would be saved yet did he never decree the belief repentance or salvation of any of them does not Soveraignty here shine who decrees the non-salvation of Judas and the non-effectual drawing of Judas to Christ which saith there be no property so called and bands of conditions lying upon the Lord if Judas repent he shall be saved as if a father promise to his son an hundreth Acres of land upon condition that the son pay him one hundreth shillings if the father only can and must furnish to the son the hundreth shillings and in the mean time deny the purpose in his heart to deny to furnish the hundreth shillings it